Sunday Sunday

There’s no doubt that Sunday bus services are getting more popular. On some core routes, loadings between 1000 and 1600 are encouragingly high and sometimes higher than over the same time band on weekdays, helped of course by fewer buses than on a weekday. Sundays are no longer special and whether you consider this a sad reflection on the way society is moving or freedom of choice, Sundays are an opportunity to be grasped.

In spite of premium rates to woo staff who are reticent to work on Sundays and higher overall costs, some operators are boosting their Sunday bus services. Elsewhere, there’s evidence that where subsidy is required, increasing revenue can result in lower direct calls on the public purse.

And no longer can a PTE or local authority considering cutbacks look at withdrawing Sunday mileage. Whereas this was once an easy option, now Sunday buses are used not simply to visit friends & relatives but to shop and, interestingly, by shop workers themselves. Yes, there has been a slow but steady increase in the number of workers travelling on Sundays.

The problem comes after 1600 on core routes (and all day on secondary routes). Suddenly, the demand dries up completely and Sunday evening struggles on with limited passengers and even more limited revenue. This can become a real drain and where an all-day Sunday subsidy is needed, it’s often disproportionately required after 1600.

Operators could simply pack up after the last bus arrives back at the depot after 1600. Like any evening service, those who rely on it and who suddenly have no means of transport will seek an alternative. Such a decision will affect their travel habits not just on Sundays but during the week. It could result in a week’s worth of lost revenue – forever. The industry needs to retain such an important revenue stream. Any Sunday cutbacks therefore have a disproportionate affect on overall revenue.