WILL IT BE SURVIVAL OF THE BIGGEST?

This article investigates the process of regrouping of ownership of British bus companies three years after bus deregulation. Takeovers and mergers seem to occur at frequent intervals, and sometimes the new groups of companies seem to act uncompetitively. The sorts of agreements and deals now being negotiated between bus companies are in some ways like those made in the 1920s and 1930s, but today there is the threat of intervention by the Office of Fair Trading and the continued presence of deregulation. Deregulation has been unable to introduce full competition into the bus industry, but this could be due to the nature of bus operations themselves. It has been able to reduce subsidies, and some notable new small bus enterprises have succeeded. Closer examination of the takeovers that have occurred shows that grouping of bus companies is not inevitable; a surprising number of management buy-out companies have survived. The process of regrouping may continue, because other management owners will be tempted to sell if the price is right, but it is not inevitable. The article includes a table showing the changes of ownership of bus companies since privatisation.

• Corporate Authors:

  EMAP Response Publishing Limited

  Wentworth House, Wentworth Street
  Peterborough,   England 
• Authors:
  • Francis, M
• Publication Date: 1989-10-18

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 16-18
• Serial:
  • BUS BUSINESS

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Buses; Deregulation; Motor vehicles; Ownership; Public transit
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 155: Administration; 144: Deregulation; 744: Public transport; 8119: United Kingdom; 315: Vehicle ownership
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00606391
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1991 12:00AM