Buses and coaches are the most cost-effective and economically sound means of passenger transport. Rail travel is often twice as expensive as travelling by coach, while travelling by car is almost three times as costly.
Most affordable means of transport
Numerous studies have confirmed the lower total costs of operating buses compared to trains as a means of public transport.
An investigation in Germany showed that the total costs of a modern light train are 90% higher than the total costs for carrying the same number of passengers by bus.
In the UK, it costs twice as much to drive to London from Manchester by car (USD 96) than it does to go by coach (USD 37). The cost per person of a trip from Edinburgh to Oxford by car is USD 181 and USD 145 by train, as opposed to just USD 91 by coach.
Covering full infrastructure costs
As a matter of fact, in most European countries, buses and coaches pay between 1.5 and 2 times as much through various taxes and charges as bus and coach-related government expenditure, including investment in new roads and maintenance of existing ones.
Offering best cost-efficiency
In Europe, public transport carried out by private operators is extremely cost-efficient. According to the European Commission, regulated competition brings advantages to everybody.
In the US, coaches provide cost-effective mobility to millions of Americans at virtually no cost to taxpayers, while other transportation sectors receive billions in annual federal subsidies.
In Finland, 83 % of public transport services provided by private companies are covered without public financing.
In the UK, over 85% of all public bus services are provided commercially without public subsidies.
In the US, private commercial coaches account for merely USD 0.06 of federal subsidies per passenger trip, public transit (urban transport) received USD 0.77 per passenger trip, whilst commercial air carriers received USD 4.32 per passenger trip, and Amtrak, the US railway company, USD 46.06 per passenger trip.
Buses and coaches are an Affordable Move!
See smart policies and best practices to implement to double the use of these affordable means of mobility.
