TRASPOL’s Third Annual Report Shows That the Bus Is No Longer Just “Low-Cost”

Nuremberg/Milan, May 04, 2020 - The new report, in collaboration with TRASPOL of the Polytechnic University of Milan, shows the significant increase in travelers' interest in long-distance buses, even in competition with rail and air transport. In fact, compared to 2018, 2019 will see an increase in CheckMyBus searches by 70 percent and origin-destination pairs served by 32 percent.

The report on the performance of the long-distance bus market in Italy analyzed and compared data from the years 2017, 2018 and 2019. The analysis on the price-per-kilometer index shows us that the same remains stable overall at an average level compared to 2018, despite the increase in very long-distance trips, which are on average cheaper. There is also greater seasonal variability, with lows in the winter months.

2018 had seen the largest price decline for interregional routes in the South and North Central, and 2019 shows further price declines for domestic routes in the North Central.

The length of trips, previously more concentrated on medium-short routes, becomes homogenized and the increase in tickets on routes over 1,000 kilometers stands out. The cause is likely to be found in the loss of competitiveness from planes and trains. Distance also increases for trips to airports, which again reach trips of up to 1,000 kilometers.

The most sought-after interregional connections are between Sicily and Lazio, corresponding to 5 percent of the total. Sicily also becomes the region most involved in interregional travel, moving ahead of Puglia and Calabria. Internationally, Milan maintains first place, followed by Rome and Turin.

Direct comparison shows that requests in 2019 are higher than the previous year's average and show an increase of 70%.

Regarding the identikit of the typical traveler, the female majority of travelers is re-confirmed, while the percentage of very young people is progressively reduced, compared to the early years of liberalization: the most represented group is now between 25 and 44 years old, generally more economically stable, but also more demanding. This change also suggests a change in the vision of the bus market: no longer a "low cost market," but a viable quality alternative to other means of transportation.

The third annual report on long-distance bus market trends in Italy, prepared by the Milan Polytechnic TRANSPOL in collaboration with CheckMyBus, includes three years of monitoring. The entire report can be downloaded here (Italian): Report on the Long-Distance Bus Market in Italy | YEAR 2019.

CheckMyBus, the international long-distance bus search engine shows real-time departures and prices in more than 80 countries. With more than 2090 bus companies and millions of weekly departures, customers have access to a virtual network of bus connections around the world. Tickets and more information at www.checkmybus.it

TRASPOL is part of the DAStU (Department of Architecture and Urban Studies) of the Politecnico di Milano. The Laboratory is involved in research, training and consulting in the field of transport and infrastructure, particularly the relationship between public planning, economics and regulation. TRASPOL has been studying the long-distance bus market in Italy and abroad since 2011, in the broader context of long-distance passenger transport (rail, air). More information: www.traspol.polimi.it

www.checkmybus.it, www.checkmybus.co.uk, www.checkmybus.de, www.fernbusse.de, www.checkmybus.com, www.checkmybus.fr, www.checkmybus.es, www.checkmybus.at, www.checkmybus.ch, www.checkmybus.nl, www.checkmybus.pl, www.checkmybus.com.br, www.checkmybus.pt, www.checkmybus.com.mx, www.checkmybus.com.ar, www.checkmybus.cl, www.checkmybus.cz, www.checkmybus.hr, www.checkmybus.com.tr, www.checkmybus.pe, www.checkmybus.co, www.checkmybus.my