(01 Apr 2020, 2:41 pm)Big O wrote I'm seeing reports that Bus companies need a bailout due to this situation. Why do they need money from the Government haven't they got enough already from the extravagant fares?
And what fares would those be?
If you take the big 3 in the North East, they're largely all running a Sunday service with a few peak extras. There are fewer passengers than you'd find even on a Sunday, so you've got reduced income all 7 days of the week.
Ultimately wages still need paid, fuel still needs used and maintenance still needs carried out.
Shops, restaurants etc currently have a government paid workforce, little to no maintenance cost and so aren't in as bad of a position. Bus operators have all the usual costs, albeit on a slightly reduced scale (and with furloughed workers), so most will run into financial difficulty.