Answers on a Postcard

Yellow Buses has painted the rear of one of its deckers in an advert to thank the people of Bournemouth for supporting the company during the current competitive struggle with neighbouring Wilts & Dorset.

The MD has also written to the local paper, trying to drum up support by appealing to the masses. He uses such phrases as “We certainly do not intend to emulate the ‘MORE Profits’ bus service approach…” and “Please use Yellow Buses in preference to the ‘MORE profit for shareholders’ option as we do need your continuing support…”

All this may strike some as a little disingenuous - given that W&D's competition is based on quality - but the fact is that Yellow Buses is not in a position to do much else, pending the protracted sale of the undertaking to Transdev (unless Excelsior makes a second successful challenge). It cannot bite back when its hands are tied (if you see what we mean).

And this isn’t any old competitive battle, either. After all, the W&D’s more services plus 164 are the most serious competitive threat Yellow Buses has ever faced. The buses on the m1 and m2 are not 16 seat first generation Transits and Sherpas (Charlie’s Cars) nor are they life expired Routemasters (Bournemouth Heritage Transport).

If you believe Yellow Buses, the current strategy of David v Goliath, of portrayal of W&D as hard-nosed, profit-driven businessmen, is working. Yellow Buses’ MD states in the Echo that it has not suffered any loss of passengers, following W&D’s recent incursions. That’s interesting, because W&D believes that its more services have grown by 56%.

One of them must be exaggerating its claims. Either W&D has no more passengers on the m2 than on the previous 105 or Yellow Buses has seen a passenger collapse. Or may be the 56% is genuine growth from car users, though we suspect not.

So, who’s right? Answers on a postcard of Brownsea Island, please.