Should bus companies be like Tesco?

摘要

Some of the big bus groups give the impression of wanting to be like Tesco, a national retailer, but selling bus travel rather than food. Tesco is a successful retailer, a well-known name, and most of us do our shopping there, or at one of the other superstores, every week. We wouldn't dream of trying to do our main weekly shop at a little corner shop. So why should it be any different for buses? One reason is that the superstores are the only place to get all your shopping under one roof. It is far quicker and easier to shop there than to go to the baker's, then the butcher's, then the greengrocer's and so on, so superstores only really compete among themselves. With transport, it's generally the car that's the mode of first choice and people need to be persuaded actively to use other modes for local travel.