The “Macron buses,” a still nascent market – The World

Le Monde | 03/21/2016 at 3:12 p.m. • Updated 21/03/2016 at 16:08 | By Philippe Jacqué

the “Macron coaches” are progressively settled in the French landscape. Six months after the liberalization of the transport sector, the Regulatory Authority for rail and road activities (Arafer) product for the first time consolidated data for what it represents. The regulator has submitted Monday, March 21, the first results of its new observatory transport and mobility, which complement the conclusion drawn by France Strategy, introduced in the last few weeks.

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in the last five months of 2015, new transport operators (FlixBus, Isilines, Megabus, Ouibus or Starshipper) were transported through 770,000 people, some 7 000 passengers per day over the period. According Strategies France, between September 2015 and February 2016, it is even more than 1.5 million passengers were transported more than 8000 passengers per day.

In 2013 and 2014, only 110,000 people used this means of transport. Growth is therefore relatively high. However, over the same period, the TGV subsidiaries accounted for more than 50 million passengers and BlaBlaCar through its carpooling website, about 7 million … The car remains for the moment marginal in the landscape.

operators multiply openings

But the sector operators have decided to hunt on the lands of other modes of transport thanks to their offer ultraéconomique. According to Arafer in late December 2015, 686 routes, covering 136 cities, well beyond just cities, were offered throughout France. Six weeks later, France accounted Strategies 734.

The operators multiply openings by going increasingly towards less than 100 km routes, subject to authorization. They filed the Arafer 120 line projects. Several requests have been rejected after referral to local transport authorities as liaison between Paris-Porte Maillot and Beauvais-Tille Airport

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Despite these extensions of the network, 86% of attendance lines now focus on 30% bonds, including Paris, Lille, Lyon or Paris-Paris -Rouen or Rennes, the most desired.

throughout the current market, if we approach the supply of current demand, the buses fill rate seems modest. In the third quarter of 2015, the average rate was 29%. In the fourth quarter it was 32%. “This is a nascent market , notes Anne Yvrande-Billon, vice-president of Arafer. If you look at what happened in Germany, which liberalized the sector in 2013, and [what happens] in France, we see similar growth. “

in 2013, operators had carried 8 million passengers in Germany, five million more than in 2012. in 2015, the market rose to 20 million passengers. If France is not Germany, the market should, however, be situated in 2016 at more than 3 million passengers in the current rate of growth. The summer season and some events like the Euro Cup, to be held in France in June, should support the development of the car.

The discount

to attract passengers and launch the market today, traders are quick to cut prices. From 1 to 10 euros, the starting price is particularly low. In fact, according to Arafer, the average price of a 100 km route stood at around 3 euros end 2015. And for an average trip, which is 376 km, the average price paid by users is 12 euros …

These prices are not sustainable, especially as operators have invested heavily, directly or indirectly, in coaches or staff recruitment. A thousand jobs were created in 2015, 800 driver positions, reports the Arafer.

You have to see therefore that will stand as long as these campaigns bargains … In Germany, it took two years for the market is consolidating, and Flixbus take 75% of the pie pushing many competitors to pack. In France, Isilines (Transdev) Ouibus (SNCF) or independent of Starshipper disagree leave to deal with this formidable German competitor or Megabus, the British king of the low cost.

The Judge peace will end the last line of the income statement. If all players accumulate losses, industry turnover today remains anecdotal. In 2015, operators have cleared only for domestic journeys 9.3 million euros of turnover. And none approach a little bit of financial balance

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