photo: Jiří Zemen, PrahaIN.cz/From the new Regiojet bus
PRESS CONFERENCE: Domestic carrier Regiojet presented new buses to media representatives. They are proud of their luxurious interior, which according to them has no parallel in Czech transport. It is supposed to resemble the buses of some football teams.
Regiojet signed a contract for the purchase of 150 of these buses. There are currently 20 of them in operation. They will be deployed in the most popular destinations such as Munich or Berlin, but also in more distant places: England, France, Switzerland or Hungary.
Specifically, these are Setra S 531 DT double-decker buses that were manufactured in Germany. However, these vehicles are nothing out of the ordinary, competitor Flixbus, for example, drives similar ones.
The biggest difference is in the interior. According to Regiojet, this is the most luxurious thing that can be found in the Czech Republic. An imaginary revolution is the arrangement of the seats, which provides comfort even for so-called solo travelers.
“Roughly half of our passengers travel alone. Then it’s quite uncomfortable for them, so sometimes it can be nice when they have to travel next to a fellow passenger. That’s why I’ve always been tempted to get a 2 plus 1 seat on the bus. It’s not completely new in the world. For example, it is common in South America or Turkey. I was looking for a way to bring the buses to the level of the railway, where passengers have the feeling of a larger living space,” company owner Radim Jančura described to journalists.
Seats for loners. Source: PrahaIN.cz
Fewer seats and higher average occupancy, Regiojet hopes
These buses have 58 seats, which is about a third less than usual. Jančura believes that customers will prefer convenience over competition.
“By removing thirty percent of the seats, we lose passengers, but we give them more space. We believe it can create a bus renaissance. Even for those who would never choose the bus. Of course, it makes sense for international routes, when the driving time is at least four hours,” said Jančura. Let’s add that the domestic carrier’s longest route is currently Prague-London, which is over 1,100 kilometers
“It has to be redeemed somewhere. But we believe that higher average occupancy will help us with those percentages. Although we have reduced the total number of seats, there should be more interest in it than in the competition. We should be preferred, we believe that the average occupancy will be higher than with 80 seats.”
The buses are currently in trial mode on the routes. Later, however, it is planned to divide into two classes according to quality. The lower floor will be cheaper, the upper one more expensive.
“We’ll see if we can afford to move the price,” says the founder and owner of Regiojet.
“First class should be ten to fifteen percent more expensive at most. When traveling to Berlin, where we go from 550 crowns, ten percent is around fifty-five crowns. If the passenger will bear this amount because there should be greater living comfort here, I am convinced that it will,” he revealed about pricing in the new buses.
PrahaIN.cz tried out a ride on the new bus. We tried the seats, which are said to be similar to those that football teams have custom-made.
And quite frankly, it’s a big difference. Not only compared to ordinary buses that run Kladno-Prague routes, but also compared to standard Regiojet buses.
What’s also interesting is the vending machine for canned lemonades and beer, where payment by card is self-evident. Jančura also guaranteed that the future coffee machines in the bus will offer top-quality coffee. It is said to be similar to those we know from petrol stations.
From the new Regiojet bus. Source: PrahaIN.cz
2023-09-17 06:53:36
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