The Case for Night Buses - Considerations for Operators
City centers, rail and airport hubs, and institutions like hospitals are places that seldom sleep. Yet, in many areas, transit systems pause their operations for a few hours during the night, only to resume shortly after. This raises the question: why limit operations to traditional hours?
As a transit insider, I can think of many reasons to shy away from the idea: the need for more staff, introducing overnight working shifts, and the dreaded 2 a.m. phone call when something bad happens. However more companies and agencies embracing the idea, whether on weekends only, continuously or a blend of both. For example:
McGills, Glasgow, UK (McGill's Bus Group):
Recently commenced weekend night services to cater to late-night travelers.
Provides very marketable hourly services at :xx past the hour, ensuring reliability for passengers.
BART System, San Francisco (BART):
Recently transitioned from a traditional commuter-centric model.
Now caters to a broader demographic, from late-night workers to early morning airport travelers.
Dublin Bus, Ireland (Dublin Bus (Bus Átha Cliath)):
A pioneer in nighttime transit with their decades long weekend "Nitelink" services.
Recently, they've further expanded by converting 10 routes into true 24/7 operations.
This article delves into the case for night bus services and what operators should consider in evaluating the value that nighttime services can bring to their business and hopefully somewhat debunking the myth that it's an overly daunting endeavor.
The Case For Night Services
Addressing Modern Work Practices
The pandemic has reshaped work routines, with flexible, hybrid and remote work schedules changing the weekly flows in addition to the time-of-day peaks.
Night services can serve an underserved market for workers where traditional commuter schedules are insufficient.
Serving Night Workers
Night buses cater to this workforce demographic, ensuring that people have dependable transport options for both commutes, reducing the reliance on personal vehicles.
These include other transportation facility workers, hospital staff and the myriad of businesses that have some form of overnight operations.
Strengthens Modal Connections
Airports and rail stations, critical nodes in the transport network, often operate round the clock. There are scores of examples where transit connections to airports do little to serve customers that leave on the first flights of the day.
The lack of late night departures from airports in the event of a late returning flight may be the breaking point between deciding to take the car and park versus leaving the car at home.
Boosts the Economy
With accessible transport, people are more likely to participate in nighttime activities without concerns of parking or driving. Isn't it often that the 'event rate' parking tariff seems to be in effect whenever you decide to drive?
The presence of night services offers affordability and accessibility options to those that might otherwise find mobility difficult from a disability or financial viewpoint.
The list continues - fewer cars on the road, fewer accidents, less emissions, increased foot traffic for establishments etc.
Operator Considerations
Before jumping into the P+L's, there are a couple of other aspects worth evaluating. Let's examine the impact of some of the requirements:
Fleet
Most of the bus fleet is idle/parked during nighttime hours. Rather than viewing these buses as dormant assets, they can be converted into revenue-generating vehicles optimized for 24/7 use. While maintenance, fueling, and washing operations often occur during the night, it's rare for the entire fleet to be serviced simultaneously.
Staffing
Commuter centric transit operations are often split-shift heavy in terms of driver workdays. Though cost-efficient, they're generally unpopular due to their long daily spread with large chunks of unpaid time in the middle.
Night services present an opportunity to restructure these shifts into fuller, more consistent driver shifts. This not only enhances driver satisfaction but might also play a pivotal role in reducing costly turnover rates.
The run cut below is a simplified demonstration of this:
Overnight Maintenance
Continuous operations allow overnight maintenance crews to work in more active settings, which can enhance safety, especially when compared to situations where they might otherwise work alone.
Revenue and Cash Generation
While it's essential to fully absorb costs for the long-term sustainability of the business, overnight services can provide a notable contribution to fixed overheads. In this illustrative example, I examine the marginal cash benefit of overnight services compared to the status quo for a hypothetical operation:
In this scenario, night services contribute an additional $1,050 per day. This can be allocated to fixed expenses such as rent, insurance, interest, depreciation, and facilities overhead. I recommend modeling a similar analysis on a spreadsheet. By adjusting various assumptions, you can assess their individual impacts—whether it's a change in revenue per mile or varying operational costs.
In Conclusion
While the analysis here is fairly simplified, it covers the primary considerations. Can it make financial sense? What other issues does it create? Can it help solve existing operational challenges?
There's also the social and environmental impact. Transit systems can not only enhance their revenue streams but also play a pivotal role in creating more accessible, eco-friendly, and vibrant cities - taking cars out of the equation and making destinations much more pleasant and safer to explore on foot.
The question isn't just about whether we should adopt night bus services, but how best to implement and optimize them. It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. Try it with one or two of your best daytime routes serving a busy city destination on weekends only - or an airport service 7 days a week in the busy season and see how it goes from there.
Embracing night bus services offers a promising avenue for operators to adapt to modern demands, drive revenue, and truly serve the diverse needs of today's cities.