(24 Feb 2014, 9:53 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote You ask any bus company employee, whether they are directly involved with service amendments or not and they will tell you that reducing frequencies DOES reduce passenger numbers and revenue. Even something as seemingly small as 6 to 4 per hour.
Why do you think bus operators on services without direct competition maintain these levels of frequency on some of their important routes? Because they know that it is warranted. If your theory was right, surely they would reduce and save the cost assuming they will retain all passengers. But, they know that isnt the case, they will loose out.
So doing what you suggest will hurt any service financially and any VPA would be silly to operate as such. Why move a third of the cost into times of the day when there is very little revenue? Doesnt even sound sensible.
What is your solution to prevent the alienating of fare paying customers then? Or is it better to keep forcing them on to other means of transport?