Now this makes sense . . . Japan’s Willer Express is offering plush first class seats that look more like business class pods on an airline.
Equipped with wireless internet, reclining seats, LCD screens and blankets this could actually make long-distance bus travel palatable.
Japan's Willer Express First Class Bus Service. Image via Oh Gizmo!
Of course these are the premium coaches; Willer Express also has a wide variety of different seat configurations and you’ll notice that some of them aren’t even equipped with a washroom. But let’s leave that point aside for the moment.
Let’s look at the first class vehicles and ask ourselves a few questions:
ONE – Could such an idea be applied to public transit?
TWO – If so, how?
THREE – What price could you charge users of such a system? Twice the standard fare? Three times the standard fare? How would that compare to the price of driving to work every day?
FOUR – What would the implications on ridership be if a transit agency were to implement such a Premium (Freemium?) arrangement?
I think there’s something here.
Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
