Lunch with Leon episode 45 - Chris Cheek

Studying the data

Chris Cheek has spent a large part of his life providing a great service for the bus industry, by analysing companies’ financial performance, and publishing the results.

Now, the new second edition of  his landmark work Understanding Buses, brings the picture up to date with a clear, non-technical, jargon-free explanation of how the bus industry works.

With a few notable exceptions, he concludes, the industry doesn’t make enough money to cover its costs, investment and obligations.

“Unprecedented uncertainty, “is how he describes the current situation, with no prospect of enough government funding to achieve the aspirations of its newly-published National Bus Strategy.

Despite the post-Covid car-led recovery, it’s not all bad and Chris explains why Europe envies the British bus industry and whether autonomous bus is the answer.

They also talk about the “hidden revolution” that has changed the industry in a positive way. And, how Leon Daniels is easily separated from £2.75…