(21 Nov 2019, 8:15 pm)JP6004 wrote Government services operate differently to private.

Private companies try be as efficient as possible, government operations like NHS, HMRC and its call centres are so badly managed and far far inefficient. Throwing money at problems wont make them better; an understanding of how to operate a successful business and operate efficient streamlined services is key. Once you start to move the company in that direction, then you can look at starting to invest and improve

I can see if councils or nexus took over, that the continual improvement and step change in service offerings would suffer. Nexus are already suffering financially with possible cuts to metro services in 2021. Imagine if they held the keys to regions buses!

We've had the current system since 1986. It's private and is flawed in so many ways. I'd argue they are far from efficient. 
We've seen companies go to the wall, we've seen buyouts and mergers and we've seen dodgy deals where operating areas are carved up to suit. 

(21 Nov 2019, 8:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Considering these subsidies/grants you mention are considerably less than the operating cost of a bus company, they're paying considerably less through their tax contributions than if it were nationalised.

Now granted if it were nationalised the profits would then go back to the government rather than to the shareholders, reducing the affect those subsidies have overall, but then you have to consider the fact that there would be no more income from any passengers under the age of 25 which would drastically reduce turnover. 

If you look at most of the routes that have the high spec buses (21, X21, 309/310, X9/X10), what is one thing they all have in common? Competition
If the bus companies were nationalised, do you honestly believe that they would spend the extra to buy high spec buses because I don't! The reason these routes have high spec buses is to try and 'steal' passengers from competing services, and why would they do that when all services are run by the same 'company'?

Im not sure about the relevance or accuracy of the first paragraph you make.
How is this the case? What methods and data have you used to back up the claims? 

As for the competing services. Pity the poor folks who don't have competing services eh? Or have seen bus wars, cuts in service or reductions in the level of service, as theres not enough profit.

Did you ever ride the Express services pre-86? Lovely, comfy rides, with coach seating across a range of vehicles. Uprated engines that improved overall performance appeared too.
All with the aim of enticing punters. Attractive fares too. I think we discussed the variences in inflation and the price equivalent fares would be now, taking in to account inflation. Then compared them to the actual fares we see today. 
If the aim is to entice punters on to vehicles and the WiFi, apps and gimmicks actually do help in achieving this, then why would a change to the current system, see the removal of those gimmicks?