Warrington's Own Buses

[126th street]

RE: WBT Network Warrington

(27/03/2015 01:03)stankevitch Wrote:  Knutsford Rd/Wash Ln to Warrington Town Centre:

£2.20 single on WBT
£1.80 return on Fairbrothers.

So thats £4.40 compared to £1.80, thats more than a saving of a quid, and think of someone who takes that journey 3-4 times a week, but isnt guarenteed to Need to use the bus 5 out of 7 days. That works out at quite a saving over time.

And on the topic of WBT rises, has anyone taken into account the over-the-top fare rises, even adding up for the fuel price increase, Oil plummeted recently with at the pump garage prices dropping as much as 20p a litre, that must have a knock-on effect in the industry for a smaller operator like WBT who AFAIK doesnt hedge their fuel prices.

Fares will be higher on WBT for some obvious reasons, not least that the cost of its operation will be substantially higher than bargain basement outfits such as Fairbrothers. WBT's drivers' union is exceptionally strong and some of the terms and conditions they operate under will naturally inflate how much it costs to run its buses.

However, charging £1.80 as a return fare is simply not economically viable in the long term unless you are running around with full buses all day. Stagecoach's fares are acknowledged to be on the low side, but how far can you get for £1.80 with Stagecoach? Not far, and for good reason. Buses are expensive to buy, they are expensive to maintain, they are expensive to run at 6-7mpg (at best) for a Trident, they are expensive to maintain and drivers do not work for nothing.

Plenty of operators have come in and attempted to make a long-term business out of charging rock bottom fares. Few, if any, realise that ambition.

As for the pump price of diesel, an operator of WBT's size is about as likely to be paying pump price as it is to start a service between Warrington and the moon. Even if it's not hedging, it will be paying the bulk Platt's price or thereabouts.