摘要: |
As I write this Covid funding for bus services ends on March 31, concessions begin to reduce to actual levels (65% of passengers or thereabouts compared to pre-Covid), National Insurance and the minimum wage increase, and fuel costs continue their upwards spiral. Oh, and we're all short of drivers who are looking for double-digit pay rises. For a typical bus company, I estimate costs have risen by 11% since March 2020, and the March 31 changes alone will reduce revenue by 10%. It does not take an accounting genius to realise that there will be significant service cuts, both of commercial and tendered services. And as I write this in mid-February, none of the councils we work for have indicated what they plan to do, if anything. That's England, however - the Scottish Government has announced its 2022/3 support scheme, so operators there can now plan with some certainty. |