3 ms·

The driver is the main cost. Per bus you need multiple drivers to keep it running 16-20 hours per day, every day.

by ant6n 9y ago

dogma1138 9y ago
I would like to see the costs of the drivers vs the insurance and yearly settlement costs for the company. Based on the numbers from the TFL for example while the drivers do cost they don't make up the bulk of the workforce.
- ant6n 9y ago
  Well go look it up and report back here. Tfl is a bad example of a bus transit agency, because it really isn't one.
  - dogma1138 9y ago
    I would reserve judgment then, because I could not find information that proves your initial assertion. It seems that the only information which is available is from large nearly national public transportation providers like the TFL, HK Transport Department etc. TFL is a bus transit agency, its one of the largest bus operators in the world. Looking at other companies like Arriva and NationalExpress which are large private bus operators again the drivers do not seem to be the bulk of their operating costs.
    - ant6n 9y ago
      "Driver labor, and related time-based costs, are the dominant element – often 70% or more — of transit operating budgets in the developed world. The only exception is a fully automated driverless service, such as Vancouver’s SkyTrain." - Transit Expert Jarret Walker http://humantransit.org/2011/07/02box.html http://humantransit.org/2011/07/02box.html (I know making comments about downvotes is boring, but I always get downvoted a lot on HN on transit/urbanism issues, people here don't have much of a clue...)
      - ant6n 9y ago
        ...Like, you guys just want to create yourself an echo-chamber in which you can believe that EVs will magically solve all the negative externalities of driving.
      - dagw 9y ago
        That was a pretty useful breakdown, but I really wish he'd included some real world numbers.
        dogma1138 9y ago
        I would also like to see those numbers since the various 'Statement of Accounts' we have from large public transportation agencies like the TFL show a different picture, even with nearly 30,000 bus drivers their salaries and related costs don't make up anywhere near 70% of the TFL bus operating budget. If you run a very small public transport agency with only a handful of buses it might be the case.

The driver is the main cost. Per bus you need multiple drivers to keep it running 16-20 hours per day, every day.

by ant6n 9y ago

The driver is the main cost. Per bus you need multiple drivers to keep it running 16-20 hours per day, every day.

I would like to see the costs of the drivers vs the insurance and yearly settlement costs for the company. Based on the numbers from the TFL for example while the drivers do cost they don't make up the bulk of the workforce.

ant6n 9y ago
Well go look it up and report back here. Tfl is a bad example of a bus transit agency, because it really isn't one.
- dogma1138 9y ago
  I would reserve judgment then, because I could not find information that proves your initial assertion. It seems that the only information which is available is from large nearly national public transportation providers like the TFL, HK Transport Department etc. TFL is a bus transit agency, its one of the largest bus operators in the world. Looking at other companies like Arriva and NationalExpress which are large private bus operators again the drivers do not seem to be the bulk of their operating costs.
  - ant6n 9y ago
    "Driver labor, and related time-based costs, are the dominant element – often 70% or more — of transit operating budgets in the developed world. The only exception is a fully automated driverless service, such as Vancouver’s SkyTrain." - Transit Expert Jarret Walker http://humantransit.org/2011/07/02box.html http://humantransit.org/2011/07/02box.html (I know making comments about downvotes is boring, but I always get downvoted a lot on HN on transit/urbanism issues, people here don't have much of a clue...)
    - ant6n 9y ago
      ...Like, you guys just want to create yourself an echo-chamber in which you can believe that EVs will magically solve all the negative externalities of driving.
    - dagw 9y ago
      That was a pretty useful breakdown, but I really wish he'd included some real world numbers.
      - dogma1138 9y ago
        I would also like to see those numbers since the various 'Statement of Accounts' we have from large public transportation agencies like the TFL show a different picture, even with nearly 30,000 bus drivers their salaries and related costs don't make up anywhere near 70% of the TFL bus operating budget. If you run a very small public transport agency with only a handful of buses it might be the case.