ABC #399

OPERATOR
NEAR OR FAR BUS AND COACH
We need to have our maintenance
spot-on at all times because being in the
mountains does isolate you from access
to mechanical repairs in a hurry.
mountains does isolate you from access
to mechanical repairs in a hurry. So we
ensure our vehicles are always in top
condition and that’s why we try to avoid
any breakdowns as much as possible,”
he added.
THE ‘BIG C’ OF 2020
Rod is a resilient bloke. The ongoing
Covid-19 pandemic may have knocked
out 90 per cent of his business, but of all
the bus and coach business operators
we’ve have spoken to in the past four
months, Rod would be hands down the
most optimistic that things will turn out
for the better, even if the ‘when’ part
of the story is still up in the air.
“We’re here for the long term. We’ve
weathered the storm reasonably well,”
Rod said.
“We’ve used the time to refurbish our
fleet and further improve our vehicles.
Our business can and will survive this
turmoil! We are looking forward to
working to provide the best service
possible.
“We have Covid Safe cleaning and
travel practices that encourage a clean
and safe environment for our customers
and our staff.
“At present, it is tough out there.
There are so many companies relying
on international tourism and, with
that suspended, it has created a more
competitive environment for the
domestic market. What happens then
is you have people undercutting each
other, making businesses unsustainable.
“A lot of other small businesses have
become unsustainable, which is a
huge concern for us all. I remember,
by mid-March, every single booking for
the year was wiped. That’s thousands of
dollars of revenue gone.
“The JobKeeper allowances have
assisted some of our employees;
however, we had to sadly let go of one
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ABC November 2020 busnews.com.au