The Pope is a Catholic

[Mojo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8444961.stm
UK bus industry inquiry launched

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has referred the UK's local bus services to the Competition Commission over concerns about pricing.

The OFT said it had found evidence that limited competition between operators tended to result in higher prices and lower quality for passengers.

Bus services in London and Northern Ireland will be excluded from the Competition Commission's inquiry.

 

[Wyvern]

We've seen the effect of competition in Derbyshire when a cowboy outfit went up against Trent.

It cost Trent so much to fend them off they had to cut down on evening services which are now paid for by the council (i.e. the ratepayer)

Some of these Whitehall shinya**es live in cloud cuckoo land.

 

[robertclark125]

Oddly enough, if the OFT and CC recommend changes, they might never happen. Why? likelyhood is, the tories will form the next government, and they'll happily leave things as they are. And if changes are recommended, only those with the fattest wallets mgiht afford them. So, the CC could end up reducing competition.

Here in Fife, two operators gave up at Xmas eve, and transfered routes and staff to Stagecoach. Both were retiring owners, and no one was willing to take over the businesses. The simple fact is that the many barriers to entry and efficent oepration today are those created by the government. High taxes, licensing procedures. Some aren't, such as new European driving rules. With this in mind, unless these rules are changed, I'm afraid anything done by the CC may have little or no effect.

After all, if operators don't want to bid, or run routes, then you can't make them.

 

[Aictos]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8444961.stm
UK bus industry inquiry launched

That's true, take Peterborough for example with tickets at a price and a service that comes nowhere near the value of the tickets.

Now there's supposed to be a regular 10 minute service between 7am and 7pm during the weekday and Saturday but it's proven to be better to leave more earlier then needed just in case either a.) the bus doesn't run or b.) it runs late.

Now bear in mind you only want to go from A to B and back in which you have no choice but to pay out for a day rider which gives you unlimited travel throughout the day in the Peterborough area but is rather a waste when you just want a return or just get two singles.

From overcrowding on certain routes to the ticketing system, there's reasons why competition which is needed in the area simply isn't there.

 

[ivanhoe]

We've had 23 years of de regulation which has resulted in 5 national players running the majority of Services. These 5 players are now taking increased subsidies from Councils and PTE's to ensure that Bus Services are running for most parts of the day. Who is going to pay for the new generation of more carbon efficient buses if the operators are having to stave off increased competition? I dispair of Government who were responsible for the current mess. I'm no great lover of Stagecoach, Arriva etc but we need to make what we have at the moment work for passengers . Bus wars have few winners but many losers.

 

[gingerheid]

How dare you say the Pope is Catholic!!!

Launch an enquiry to properly investigate the matter and report findings before going making rash statements without any proper evidence, will you please!

 

[yorksrob]

Curious that they haven't included London and Northern Ireland. Would seem to be missing the point about investigating the potential problems/benefits of bus monopolies if you're going to miss out two major areas of bus transport in the UK.

 

[gingerheid]

London and Northern Ireland are both government controlled, so there isn't really the same kind of competition in those markets.

 

[mbonwick]

London is a franchised system (which is the reason Stagecoach sold out of London in 2006) and NI is also under government control.

 

[yorksrob]

Indeed - they've missed an opportunity to see whether these regulated areas compare favourably or unfavourably with the others. Unless they don't want to find out.