Bus Industry Research Articles

Deregulation and the Determinants of Entry: Evidence from the German Interurban Bus Industry

Two years after the deregulation of the German interurban bus industry in January 2013, two new entrants emerged as market leaders: MeinFernbus (MFB) and FlixBus (FB). We use a comprehensive route-level data set to investigate the determinants of route entry for both providers. Applying survival models, we find that both companies show an increased probability to enter populous, centrally located routes with large shares of young inhabitants; however, they both avoid entries into routes including an airport or with low quality rail connection. Furthermore, both market leaders refrain from entering small and medium-sized routes in which another provider is already operating. In large markets, however, they both show an increased entry probability independent of the presence of a competitor.

What drives the drivers? Predicting turnover intentions in the Belgian bus and coach industry

The bus industry is characterized by demanding jobs and high turnover rates. In this study we gather essential insights that can help companies and industry-level policy makers increase the attractiveness of the profession and design effective retention policies. We compare the factors that induce Belgian drivers to leave their current organization with those inducing them to leave the industry. Key factors increasing the likelihood to consider quitting the company are a negative work-life balance, a lack of social support and a temporary contract. Dominant factors to consider quitting the bus driver profession are a lack of fulfillment, a demanding job environment and a negative work-life balance.

Deregulation and the Determinants of Network Access: Evidence from the German Interurban Bus Industry

We investigate the characteristics of cities gaining access to the German interurban bus network in the first two years following the deregulation of the industry in January 2013. Applying both parametric and semi-parametric survival models, we find strong evidence that the probability of a city to be added to a provider’s network not only increases with the mere size of its population but also with further demographic characteristics such as average income or the share of young and old inhabitants. Additionally, while an increasing importance of tourism has a further positive effect, a rising automobile density is imposing a significantly negative impact on the probability of a city to gain access to the network.

The Impact of Union Amalgamation on Membership

In 1980s and 1990s, Australian trade unions tried to combat declining influence and membership numbers by amalgamating with other unions in the same or related industries. Much has been written on union mergers, but little on how these affect the membership. This article aims to contribute to the literature of the impact of mergers and amalgamations on members but studying just one union, The West Australian Locomotive Engine Drivers, Firemen’s and Cleaners Union (LEDU; 1898-1999). In 1993, the three federal railway unions—the Australian Railways Union (ARU), the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE), and the National Union of Railworkers (NUR), and one bus and tram union, the Australian Tramway & Motor Omnibus Employees Association (ATM)—amalgamated to become the Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU). The LEDU reluctantly joined the RTBU in 1999. This article examines rank and file reaction to the initial proposals and ultimately to becoming part of a larger union, covering workers with many different interests. The article concludes that, irrespective of whether or not amalgamation was inevitable, given the circumstances in Western Australia at the time, its impact upon the rank and file membership was devastating.

Competitive tendering and cross-shareholding in public passenger transport

Competitive tendering is a widespread procurement strategy for increasing efficiency in the passenger transport industry. Motivated by the structural changes following the increased use of competitive tendering observed in the Norwegian local bus industry, this paper uses first-price single-bid auction theory to demonstrate that rational firms can respond strategically with cross-ownership when exposed to the uncertainty entailed to competitive tendering. This could raise the equilibrium bid implying that the subsidy reduction rationale for introducing competitive tendering is partly invalidated. Transport authorities should be aware of such possible structural changes when considering further implementation of competitive tendering.

Competition in the German Interurban Bus Industry: A Snapshot Two Years after Liberalization

We study competition in the German interurban bus industry two years after its liberalization in January 2013. In addition to a brief characterization of the liberalization process and several general market developments, we provide a detailed analysis of selected market characteristics such as concentration and competitive interaction, fares as well as service quality. We use the gained insights to discuss two recent policy issues – industry consolidation and possible abuses of market power by incumbents – and derive several recommendations to secure effective competition in the industry.

Deregulation, Competition, and Consolidation: The Case of the German Interurban Bus Industry

We provide an empirical assessment of the German interurban bus industry two years after its deregulation in January 2013. In addition to a general description of key developments of the industry, we use a unique route-level price data set to study both competitive interaction in general and the potential price effects of a recently announced merger of the two largest players in the market in particular. We find that route-level average prices, inter alia, do not only depend on the number of competitors but especially on the composition of firms operating on a particular route. Although our empirical results suggest short-term price increases on certain route types post-merger, it remains an open question whether the merger should be classified as anticompetitive.

Competition in the German Interurban Bus Industry

We study competition in the German interurban bus industry two years after its liberalization in January 2013. In addition to a brief characterization of the liberalization process and several general market developments, we provide a detailed analysis of selected market characteristics such as concentration and competitive interaction, fares as well as service quality. We use the gained insights to discuss two recent policy issues – industry consolidation and possible abuses of market power by incumbents – and derive several recommendations to secure effective competition in the industry.

Get on the (curbside) bus: The new intercity bus

Curbside buses are intercity buses that pick up and drop off on city streets and corners instead of bus terminals. These new buses have only been operating for 15 years but have quickly revitalized and transformed the intercity bus industry, leading to the first increases in ridership in 50 years. Using a passenger intercept survey of both curbside and established carriers, such as Greyhound, I address two basic questions about this new mode: Who uses curbside buses? And what is the effect of curbside buses on competing modes? The findings indicate that curbside buses appear to be attracting different passengers than established carriers. After using curbside buses, passengers are less likely to use Amtrak for intercity trips, but the buses have no effect on their likelihood to drive.

中国客车产业升级的环境和趋势浅析

客车在客运交通中是基础式的存在。在国家汽车产业大规模增长和私家车大潮下，客车产业在汽车领域的“羹”越分越少。但客车行业发展的背景环境中，来自其他交通手段的外部环境给予客车行业的竞争是良性互补和促进式的，基于客车的客运业市场没有被过于压制。相比竞争，市场环境给客车行业的机遇更多。在当今市场需求和技术背景下，客车行业要升级，就要在技术上提升其原有的“车性”，在乘用上强化其“客性”，同时增加客车的智能化和商业服务附加值，争取通过新能源实现更经济更环保的交通。 Bus is a basic road traffic tool. These years, in China, the large-scale growth of automobile industry especially the increase of private cars brings nothing profit to bus companies but makes pressure instead. But rationally, competitors from other fields in the market also provide complementary furtherance to the bus industry, and the market share of buses is not being over-suppressed by them. Compared with the competitions, the marketing environment gives more opportunities to the bus industry. So, to accommodate the market demands, bus industry needs to self-upgrade. That means that bus must be turned to be a high additional value product which is more technical for driving, more commercial for various uses, more intelligent to drivers and passengers and more friendly to the nature. And, industry enterprises should try to use the new energy to realize a high cost performance and reliable new traffic base on bus.

Cost Structure of the Korean Intercity Bus Industry: An Application of the Fourier Flexible Functional Form

Cost Structure of the Korean Intercity Bus Industry: An Application of the Fourier Flexible Functional Form

현대자동차 연료전지버스 실증 운영 결과

Fuel cell technology is the most representative area of alternative energy field on vehicle industry according to the limitation of petroleum resources. In recent years, the technology of fuel cell vehicles has made rapid progress, Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) reached to mass production of the Tucson ix hydrogen fuel cell vehicles first in the world. In addition, HMC is accelerating the development of hydrogen fuel cell buses, which have a number of advantages for hydrogen infrastructure and mass transport personnel. In this study, we examined potential of the commercialization through the demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell buses. As a result, we identified that the mass-production possibility of FCB has high potential and HMC's technology will lead to fuel cell bus industry.

Bargaining Units and Corporate Merger: NLRB Policy in the Intercity Bus Industry

Bargaining Units and Corporate Merger: NLRB Policy in the Intercity Bus Industry

Public transport policy implementation in South Africa: <i>Quo vadis</i>?

For many years the South African government has put forward policies and strategies to improve and promote public transport. Despite this, very little has changed over the last 30 years, although projects such as the Gautrain high-speed rail service and a few bus rapid transit routes have been introduced recently. These projects, however, are not integrated in a logical manner into the broader public transport system and are often referred to as stand alone interventions because of a lack of managing public transport in terms of integrated transport plans. The traditional commuter rail, bus and 16-seat taxi industries therefore operate in policy silos and, in the case of the bus and rail industries, are planned and funded independently of each other, leading to a further lack of integration. Policy interventions have been implemented partially or not at all, leaving the public transport sector in a state of flux. The methodology followed in researching this paper was to briefly trace the historical public transport policy developments, with a focus on the commuter bus industry, in order to identify possible impediments to policy implementation and to identify policy interventions for addressing the currently stalled policy implementation programme. The main finding of the paper is that it would be advisable to establish provincial transport authorities between local and provincial governments. That should speed up the development and implementation of integrated transport plans, which ought to lead to integrated public transport systems and a more optimal spend of the available governmental funds aimed at subsidising public transport.

The impact of privatisation on union membership and density: A Western Australian case study

AbstractFalling membership numbers and declining union density are issues of concern for many Australian unions. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that between 2005 and 2008, trade union membership declined from 22.4% to 18.9% of the workforce. Studies and statistics consistently show that union membership and density are lowest in Western Australia, despite trend reversals elsewhere. Using the Western Australian branches of two ‘blue-collar’ unions – the Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union, Western Australian Branch and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, covering a range of transport, metal working, printing and manufacturing trades – as examples, this article examines whether privatisation has contributed significantly to falling trade union density and membership in this state. These unions represented large public sector workforces. In order to test the hypothesis that privatisation has adversely affected union membership and density, the article examines three areas: changing policies in the Australian Labor Party, the breaking down of union culture and changes in trade training, and concludes that privatisation is a significant factor in the recent decline of these two unions.

Response to “Hits and Misses

Response to “Hits and Misses

Brazil’s Immigrant Song

Brazil’s Immigrant Song

Regulating Intercity Bus Stops in New York City

The intercity bus industry has grown significantly in recent years and has become an increasingly popular option for people traveling to and from New York City. Hundreds of intercity buses depart from New York City streets daily. Although these buses provide a useful, low-cost transportation option for New Yorkers, the fact that the buses were legally able to stop in any “No Standing” zone led to disruption to the local traffic network through increased sidewalk and street congestion. The New York State Legislature passed a law in August 2012 allowing the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement a permit system for intercity bus operators. The New York City DOT has developed a rule that requires intercity bus operators to apply online for a permit from the New York City DOT before the operators can make on-street stops in the city. Bus operators must submit detailed operating information to the New York City DOT, in addition to a permit fee based on the weekly number of arrivals and departures at the proposed stop. The permit-approval process includes the New York City DOT evaluation based on public health and safety criteria and consultation with local community boards and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where appropriate. Following an application period, police will be able to enforce the law against intercity buses not carrying permits or not properly utilizing their assigned stop, and thereby the city can manage this industry within the constraints of federal and state laws.

KAJIAN KEAMANAN PENGOPERASIAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT TINJAUAN TERHADAP KEKUATAN RANGKA BODY BUS

In order to meet the safety and security of the public transportation, design specification of construction body bus or bus frame structures should have an appropriate structural strength and comply with standard design including the safety factor and selection of material besides static and dynamic testing of the part of body bus. It is also realized that a bus carrying passengers have to give secure to the passengers also driver.The fact that a technology concerning with metal works industry to fascinate the body bus industry is being used in small and medium body bus industries. Eventhough some of the body bus industries having designer background but it may still develop their design capability by using advanced technology. Materials to be used for designing parts of body bus should meet specific requirements. It could be understood that safety and security during operation is a priority matter.Lifetime of the bus parts or components may be predicted through the dynamic or fatigue test from its parts or components. Palmgren and Miner hypothesis may be used in dynamic ratio decision in connection with fatigue test application up to the fraction of the parts or components being tested.

公共交通优先发展战略实施监管体系研究

公共交通优先发展战略的实施是一项综合性、系统性工作。研究总结分析我国三类典型城市公交行业发展案例，将我国当前城市公交行业发展划分为政府垄断经营、市场化运营、公交优先发展三个层次，并指出完善的市场化运营机制、有效的监管体系是公交优先发展的必要措施。然后，对我国城市公共交通优先发展所需因素进行总结，在此基础上提出了公共交通优先发展战略实施条件下公交系统监管体系构建思路及内容。 It is a comprehensive and systematic work for implementation of public transport priority development strategy. This research summarized and analyzed three kinds of typical cities of bus industry development case, divided the development of urban bus industry into three levels: government monopoly management, market operation and public transport priority development, and pointed out that it was necessary to construct the perfect market operating mechanism and effective supervision system. Then, we summarized the influence factors of public transport priority development. Based on all of these, we proposed supervision system for implementation of public transport priority development strategy.