Updated on May 25, 2022 by Axel Hernborg
In contrast to transit buses, which are typically used within a single metropolitan region, a coach (or motor coach) is a bus used for a longer-distance travel service. Coaches are frequently used for sightseeing, intercity, and international bus service. They are also available for private charter for a variety of purposes. Coaches offer greater amenities than buses by placing a greater emphasis on comfort and entertainment because they are often utilized for longer distances. Coaches frequently have larger, more comfortable seats, for the travelers.
Stagecoaches, often known as carriages, were the precursors to modern coaches. Horse-drawn stagecoaches usually followed pre-determined routes, although they could also be leased for long-distance travel with a small group of passengers carrying light luggage.
A coach tour is described as “a guided bus tour for a group of vacationers that follows a prearranged itinerary” in the strictest dictionary criteria. The majority of groups hire a regular coach or a minibus. A coach seats 36 people or more, while a minibus seats 65 people or less. Standard coaches have more amenities, such as a restroom and additional luggage compartments, because they have greater capacity.
Table of contents
Bus and Coach Travel Statistics worldwide
- Every year, about 5 billion bus travels are conducted in the United Kingdom.
- Buses and coaches make for 55 percent of public transportation in Europe, while railways, trams, and metros account for 45 percent.
- Before 1907, London buses were color-coded to indicate their route.
- Coach tourism generates $13.5 billion in annual sales in Germany.
- With a $4.9 billion annual turnover and a $4.1 billion contribution to Spain’s GDP, the bus and coach business in Spain is a substantial source of economic activity.
- Three RT-Class AEC Regent III buses were used to build the Knight Bus, as shown in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- In Europe, half of the elderly (50 million) do not own a car or are unable to drive, relying on buses and coaches to get to cultural and tourist places or just to conduct errands.
- The world’s longest bus is over 30 meters long and can transport 256 people.
- However, the world’s largest bus is nearly 25 meters long and can transport up to 300 people.
- Myanmar had 141.6 thousand local buses, whereas Thailand had 72.9 thousand, according to the 2019 survey.
- In 2019, Laos, on the other hand, had only 70 public buses.
- The combined population of two regions, South East Asia and South Asia is 2.16 billion and 1.48 billion people, accounting for over half of the global population developing their economy by increasing the public transportation sector.
- In 2017, the percentage of total land travel by bus or coach in the 28 European member states and other European countries was compared.
- Serbia had the largest percentage of passengers-kilometers traveled by bus or coach among the nations studied, accounting for 23.9 percent of total passenger kilometers.
- With 20.4 percent and 19 percent, respectively, Hungary and Cyprus came in second and third in the bus percentage race respectively (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Percentage of buses and coaches in Europe
- In 2019, the number of passengers traveling by bus and coach increased by 7.6% over the previous years.
- In the category of Passengers Traveling by Buses and Coaches in Transportation, the Czech Republic was rated fifth in 2019.
- With 140,002.61 thousand passengers, Latvia was ranked 15 in passengers traveling by Bus and Coaches in transportation in 2019, up in comparison to 2018.
- Poland ranked first in 2019 for passengers traveling by bus and coach in regular international transportation.
- Since 2014, the number of Estonians traveling by bus and coach in regular international transportation has increased by 13.2% year on year, totaling 1,504 thousand people.
- In 2019, the number of passengers traveling by bus and coach in regular international transportation in Croatia increased by 5.8% over the previous year.
- Automobiles accounted for at least 88 percent of all inland passenger kilometers in Lithuania, Portugal, and the Netherlands in 2012.
- Norway and Iceland also had a reasonably high utilization of passenger cars (also both above 88 percent).
- In the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Turkey (which had the lowest percentage of passenger cars, at 64.6 percent), passenger cars accounted for less than 75 percent of all inland passenger kilometers; note that there was a hiatus in the series for all three of these countries.
- Motorcoaches, buses, and trolleybuses accounted for more than a fifth of inland passenger kilometers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (20.7%) and Hungary (22.2%), with a share of over one third in Turkey (36.6 percent).
- In contrast, among the EU Member States, the usage of motor coaches, buses, and trolleybuses were least important in the Netherlands, accounting for only 3.0% of the modal split, while it was less than 6% in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Bus and Coach Travel Statistics in the UK
- Local bus passenger travel in England totaled 4.07 billion in 2019-20, down 238 million or 5.5 percent from the previous year.
- The trend of local bus travels in England between the period of 1982 and 2019-20 (seen in Figure 2).
- Bus use declined in the early 1990s before increasing until 2007-08 when it remained reasonably stable until 2014-15 when it began to decline.
- The decrease in travel over the last year is primarily due to COVID-19-related drops in the fourth quarter of 2019/20.
- Passenger travels in 2019-20 are expected to continue above 1990s lows.
- When compared to the previous year, bus mileage in England declined by 3.1 percent.
- This is less than the decrease in passenger travel.
- The statistics on the local bus sector in England (shown in Figure 2) can be used to track trends in usage and provision for a mode of transportation that accounts for around 51% of all public transportation trips.
Figure 2: Local bus passenger journey in England
- The passenger transport capacity and Bus travel statistics vacillated from 2006 to 2019 in the UK.
- According to 2019 research, about 32.6 billion passengers traveled by buses and coaches which is the lowest considered in that period.
- The highest passenger volume was recorded was over 44.7 billion passenger kilometers by 2010 (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Volume of bus and coach passengers in the UK
- However, the total number of buses in Great Britain (UK) used for public travel services is 32,300.
- In Scotland, the number of buses amount is 4,400 according to the 2019-20 survey (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Volume of buses used as public service in the UK
- The January 2020 figures reveal the peak times of travel from 7 to 10 am and 3 to 6 pm.
- In May 2020 (first lockdown) this ratio is shifted to the middle time of the day.
- During November 2020 (the second lockdown period), the passenger’s travel rate again increased during peak times of January 2020.
- This is because the school’s timing was shifted so the passenger boarding rate increased (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Daily passenger boarding distribution
Bus Fares
- In March 2021, the local bus fares increased at the rate of 1.7%.
- This is due to a fast increase in the consumer price index (increased at 0.7%).
- However, this increased rate is largely driven by a 3.3% increase in London.
- From March 2005 to March 2021, the bus fare increased by about 80% in England.
- This increasing rate effect the metropolitan areas by increasing by 96% nonmetropolitan areas by 75% and London which is 73%.
- Hence, the overall items consumer price index rate raised by 44% (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Retail Price Index for fares in the UK since March 1987
Bus and Coach Traffic Trend
- According to 2020 records, buses make up 0.6% of other vehicles. This trends downward from 2007 to 2020 at the rate of 2.2% (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Bus and Coach Traffic Trend (1995 to 2020)
- In England, the total passenger travel rate was down by 2.5 billion (61%) to 1.57 billion in March 2021.
Revenue Forecast
- In 2022, revenue from the Bus segment is expected to reach US$16.86 billion.
- Revenue is estimated to grow at a 9.09 percent annual rate (CAGR 2022-2026), resulting in a market volume of US$23.88 billion by 2026.
- By 2026, the number of passengers on buses is predicted to reach 536.9 million.
- In 2022, user penetration was 6.6 percent, with 6.8 percent projected by 2026.
- The ARPU (average revenue per user) is predicted to be $33.57.
- By 2026, internet sales will account for 59 percent of total revenue in the Bus industry.
- In terms of global revenue, China (US$3,468.00m in 2022) will generate the highest.
References
https://dews-coaches.com/blog/coach-travel-benefits
https://www.grandukholidays.com/travel-blog/post/101-what-is-a-coach-tour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_(bus)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/300887/number-of-buses-in-use-by-region-uk/
https://www.statista.com/outlook/mmo/shared-mobility/shared-vehicles/buses/worldwide?currency=usd
https://www.nationmaster.com/nmx/ranking/passengers-travelling-by-buses-and-coaches-in-transport
https://stanley-travel.com/12-stats-facts-about-coach-and-bus-travel-across-the-globe/
https://valoriserconsultants.com/public-and-private-bus-coach-market-in-east-and-south-east-asia/
Hello! I am Axel, tripplo.com’s travel savings, deals and discounts expert and founder. I have been in the travel deals and discounts industry for almost a decade now. It’s me who publish and update most of the content and discounts on tripplo.com! I also have a podcast in which I share valuable information about how to get the best travel deals and discounts.
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