Are old rivals First & Stagecoach set to extend their enmity across the Atlantic? With the expansion of Megabus.com’s Chicago operation next month, almost exactly one year after the services started, and plans for new routes in the south western states along the Mexican border, Stagecoach subsidiary CoachUSA looks increasingly likely to worry First’s now almost-acquired Greyhound operation.
That’s presupposing First retains Greyhound. Tipsters believe First will sell – not that there’s a precedent for First doing so. First has not sold *anything* it has bought, clutching on to even the poorest UK performers, unlike Stagecoach, which isn’t afraid to buy and sell as it suits. Perhaps Stagecaoch might buy Greyhound.
Greyhound clearly won’t take matters lying down. It’s already lowering fares with offers on some of its competitive routes though, as yet, it has been unable to offer Megabus’ $1-plus-booking-fee for those who can plan their journeys well in advance. Greyhound has recently been refurbishing its terminals, too.
On 2 April 2007, Megabus.com is introducing new services from Chicago to Pittsburgh, Louisville, Columbus and Kansas City and increasing services to Minneapolis, Cleveland, Indianapolis and St Louis.
But Greyhound offers more Chicago-based departures on these routes, albeit at higher standard fares. Those travelling further afield can benefit from Greyhound’s network of “transfers” (changes), given that a reformed Greyhound since 2005 has concentrated less on the iconic trans-national services and more on shorter distance regional flows. Some of Greyhound’s routes are still staggering in their length, though.
It’s interesting that both Greyhound and Megabus are focusing on the cheaper end of the market. Not only is this how the Americans tend to position coaching, in a market driven by the automobile or internal flights as first choices, not coaches. Greyhound has from 1972 also had a rather Hispanic focus.
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
The Fight Continues
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3 comments:
you absolutely must work for wilts as I was expecting a story about that mother chucked off a bus that was in the sun and mirror yesterday! oh dear!
Noted with interest that in the quiz question about 2+car ownership the areas included the North West while the map showed the North East. Good old BBC. Right on the button again.
Re Mother Allegedly Thrown Off W&D Bus story
This story hit the press over the weekend. I elected not to comment on it. It’s a highly charged issue and one that people tend to view as either black or white. It’s interesting that the Echo reported as many comments of support for the driver as disgust for him.
And no matter what Wilts & Dorset does about it, it can never win. I think that you have to trust the decision taken by W&D’s management as being balanced, after hearing all sides of the story.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the story, what it sadly does is paint the whole industry in a bad light. Perceptions are altered as a result of it.
And then there’s the whole issue of press accuracy.
I suspect that the complainamt will be using Transdev Yellow Buses in future! As she lives in Pokesdown, this is quite possible. There are plenty of buses of both hues to Christchurch, Poole, Boscombe and Bournemouth...
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