(07 Oct 2024, 5:51 pm)cainebj wrote It's certainly how it's looking from an outsider perspective, changed from a strategy focused on customer perception and increasing standards to one focused on maximising utilisation at the least expense in quite a short space of time, which to be fair is understandable from a new MD coming in at a time of financial losses. It's like they've gone straight from one extreme to the other rather than finding the middle ground, though difficult decisions will have been needed to balance the books again. Previous history of the current MD is irrelevant to that, any incoming MD would have had to look at it, if big head office say to balance the books then you balance the books.
Unfortunately the decline in passengers is one of those things the industry will struggle to shake off, and I'm glad I've moved away from that side of it now. Ultimately, passengers want a 5 minute turn up and go frequency giving direct links from their housing area to each individual retail park/employment site/leisure facility, not going around the houses, and will grumble at being asked £5.30 for a single fare for a 17 mile long journey (pre fare cap) whilst they're wearing an £80 shirt, £130 trainers, and are about to go pay £6 per pint on an afternoon out without any second thought.
If this is the way thing are going, then I expect passenger numbers to only keep declining.
As the old saying goes, you have to speculate to accumulate, and before the big flu buggered things up, MG proved that it could work.
He ploughed money into the fleet, acquiring higher spec vehicles and refurbishing older ones to a higher standard, and passenger numbers started to increase.
Turns out when buses aren't rancid old bangers like the old farts on here reminisce about, people actually choose to travel by bus!