Nobody rides buses
Mar 11th, 2008 by BTWT Admin
I’ve often heard people say that people just don’t like buses and won’t ride them no matter how hard you try. Or at least people who own cars won’t take the bus. Or at least rich people won’t. This is from today’s Boston Globe:
In Chicago, Megabus chief operating officer Dale Moser said bus travel has been a big hit as the demographics have changed. Once, it was for those who couldn’t afford airfare. But now, “We’re getting affluent travelers who are leaving their $45,000 SUV at home,” he said.
The article, Rediscovering the bus, is about increasing intercity bus travel, especially on the Boston-New York run. People take the bus because the alternatives are inconvenient or expensive (higher gas prices and tolls, expensive parking in the downtowns served by these routes, and, since 9/11, more delays boarding air planes). They also take it because competition has produced variety including ultra low-price, and frequent service (Fung Wah) and moderate price service (Greyhound and Peter Pan). Although not mentioned in the article, Limoliner offers “luxury” bus service on the same route at a higher price (including meeting space, flowers in the washroom, leather seats, wi-fi — and still cheaper than Amtrak). Megabus, which I had not previously heard of, is using the trick of the European cheap airlines of offering teaser fares of as little as $1 (they don’t yet serve Boston, though).
Are there lessons here for city transit bus service? Bus service can be competitive with alternatives in some markets. A competitive market can offer multiple options for consumers. Will we ever see greater competition in urban transit service?
