Christmas and New Year Bus Services

[Valandil]

RE: Christmas and New Year Bus Services

(24/11/2015 23:22)Barney Wrote:  For many years the arguments for NOT operating services over the Christmas period (Boxing Day and New Year's Day) was that there was no demand from the public and that it would be very difficult to crew such services. As we now see, these arguments were totally unfounded and it is very clear that bus services on Merseyside - and every other main conurbation in this country - are needed and wanted.

A relative of mine who works for TfL very recently showed me a memo from the head of bus operations for London stating that there was no plan to operate buses on Christmas Day even though it costs a fortune to park up over a 1000 buses - often many miles from their depot - that would normally be operating in service. No doubt there will be a rethink there in the next year or so.

I think this is an excellent demonstration of why cuts to services very often don't work economically.
A lot of buses running can mean a lot of passengers using them and lots of revenue.
Yet very few buses running can mean proportionally far fewer passengers using them: so yes costs are lower, but the actual profit is too.