Friday, July 8, 2022

The bus passenger transport sector is recovering

After two years in the wilderness, the bus passenger transport sector is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, if it is not already virtually out of the tunnel. A reliable indicator of the health of the sector is performance during the Easter season, and the results for 2022 show a clear recovery, whether in Europe or on the other side of the pond (LATAM & Mexico).

Alsa (the leading bus operator in Spain) is outperforming the pre-pandemic numbers recorded in the first quarter of 2019 with 53% more revenue, while during the Holy Week holiday it reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile in Mexico, not only massive events such as the Expo Foro 2022 (which brings together carriers, bus manufacturers, and sector authorities) returned. It is also true that the roads were full with a higher demand, resulting in an excellent Holy Week, in the words of José Lucio Rodríguez González, President of CANAPAT (National Chamber of Passenger and Tourism Transportation).

This surge in passenger transport demand promises a record summer season, which is something that can be corroborated by looking at hotel booking data for any popular tourist destination.

This recovery has led passenger transport companies to resume projects that were suspended due to COVID-19, as is the case of Grupo Estrella Blanca in Mexico, which has decided to take a step forward and purchase a second Lander driving simulator. The first simulator was launched in 2019 at its corporate headquarters in Mexico City, and during this time they have promoted the professionalisation of their greatest business asset, their drivers. They are now looking to replicate this successful model at their Monterrey headquarters.

Passenger transport companies will find in LANDER a technological partner with an outstretched hand to help strengthen the training of their businesses in the uncertain times ahead.

Bus driver training