France's deregulation of long-distance bus service, reported HERE last week, may herald a huge change in France's transportation patterns. Major bus carriers are opening new routes that may not only drive down bus fares but compete with SNCF train routes as well.
Until the deregulation, most French bus routes served routes without train service, but they are now allowed to compete. As the map above shows, the bus companies plan to blanket France, as well as serve many routes to neighboring countries. Over 250 new routes are planned or started, according to GoEuro, a travel price comparison site.
The stakes are big. GoEuro estimates that prices could drop between 10 and 70 percent. Five million new bus passengers could create 22,000 jobs. And lower prices could possibly lure 800,000 more British travelers to European travel.
For more detail from TheLocal.fr, click HERE
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