(19 May 2021, 9:55 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "when lockdown (hopefully) comes to end, as there will be a re-emerging market for bus travel."
The thing is, lots of people have got used to making alternative arrangements.
This is very true...was trying to be optimistic with that comment! I suppose the ending of lockdown is the time to make sure services and vehicles are as nice as they've ever been, in order to try and draw passengers back! While this is something we've seen GNE do, I can't see Arriva doing the same. As I said, it seems likely Arriva are going to keep some of their previously more frequent services less so, due to the likely reduced demand for bus travel - in fairness they're meeting the reduced demand and cost-cutting on vehicles and drivers alike.
I suppose GNE are taking a more pro-active approach to try and combat the impacts of COVID-19, whereas it seems more likely that Arriva will just be accepting those impacts and scaling back their operations to reflect that. While Arriva's option might end up being the more profitable, I do wish GNE luck, time will tell as to whether the demand returns, and indeed it might even with ANE in time, but it will be interesting to see how the short-term response post-COVID influences the long-term response