Scottish firms lead the way in conquering the US coach market

Planes were often the best way to travel in the USA. Coaches were frowned upon and the iconic Greyhound bus was often viewed as the method of transport for those running away!

Before that it was the railways that moved passengers coast to coast until 1910 when America became the land of the automobile thanks to Henry Ford.

However, the bus is making a comeback and Scottish firms are at the heart of it. Stagecoach bought out Coach USA some years back and now have a vast empire of famous yellow school buses, commuter buses, sightseeing buses and intercity buses. Stagecoach launched Megabus in the US in 2006, expanding rapidly to serve 72 major cities from hubs in Chicago and New York.

Another Scottish bus company, FirstGroup, bought over US firm Laidlaw in 2007 for $2.8bn (£1.78bn), giving it control of the 92-year-old Greyhound bus line. They launched BoltBus in 2008, initially going head-to-head with Megabus on the key New York to Washington route.

According to a new survey by DePaul University Inter-city bus travel grew by 7.1% in 2011, compared with 1.5% for air and 1.16% for rail.

PUBLIC BUS PASSENGER TRIPS IN THE US
New York - 3.2 bn
Chicago - 0.52 bn
Los Angeles - 0.48 bn
Washington DC - 0.44 bn
Boston - 0.37 bn

So how have they been so successful?
Stagecoach and FirstGroup offer tickets between major cities such as New York and Philadelphia, or Boston and Washington, for as little as $1 (63p), with typical one-way fares between $15 (£9.53) and $27 (£17.07).

They also offer free wi-fi and pick up passengers on the kerbside - rather than grotty old bus terminals has helped them become popular with more affluent passengers and lone female passengers.

The bus companies highlight the green benefits of buses, which have a lower carbon dioxide footprint than air or car travel.

US firms such as DC2NY are starting to offer similar services, but although travelers going between Washington DC and New York pay lower fares than rail or air travellers, the journey is at least an hour slower than the slowest train.

Further Reading here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16881957