As with professional golf it can be a struggle to make par, but the bus industry keeps doing just that
By David Goeldner | March 8, 2012
When new players emerge you might expect a bit of fine tuning before making a dent on the major league, but that’s not the case with new entrant Bus and Coach Sales Australia (BCSA).
Although BCSA has been around for quite some time, they enter the field as a chassis supplier this year as the Australian distributor of Bonluck (BLK) buses, formerly badged under the BCI banner.
BCSA’s first few months has been spent ‘clearing the decks’ with 2011 stock, making way for new product in May, but early signs suggest they will be more than competitive in the ever-crowded school-charter space.
BCSA’s first month, which admittedly includes some late January deliveries, saw 12 units enter operation mainly in Queensland and Victoria, matching BCI’s deliveries, also 12 units, in predominantly Western Australia and South Australia.
With front runners Volvo slipping slightly to 34, Higer pushing up to 19 in second spot, Scania matching BCSA and BCI’s efforts on 12, and Iveco recording one of their best months for quite some time with 11 units into a mix of operations in most states, the overall result left the industry above par at 123 for the month – one unit more than January.
In fact, looking back to this time last year, one could argue the bus industry is well in excess of a par score, as just 108 units were delivered in February 2011. So far chassis supply is about 10 percent ahead of where it was this time last year.
Based on projecting forward into 2012, and if the first two months are replicated ‘above par’ for the rest of the year, it could mean a finish with around 1,700 units delivered by December 31, 2012.
This estimate would reflect incremental growth, and a correction of the ‘slippage’ that occurred in 2011 when many operators brought their capital purchases forward to 2010 to take advantage of the much discussed tax incentive scheme which has since closed, and consequently operators wound back spending in the year just past.
But it looks like the industry could be on the move again, and if we see a Government growth bus scheme or two unveiled in coming months, there could be a sooner than expected return to ‘good times’.
With an above par result for the first two months to springboard from, the opportunity to charge down the fairway to the finish – and a cause for celebration by December at the ‘19th hole’ – looks on the cards.
Exclusive bus delivery data for February 2012 is available here.