Bus and coach operator National Express has said its network in the UK is still only carrying a fraction of the passengers it hosted before the pandemic - even as the country starts to emerge from the depths of lockdown.
The business said its coaches are carrying eight per cent of passengers compared to 2019.
Revenue was up by around half in April, although this is compared to this time last year during the first lockdown.
Instead, across the first third of this year revenue was around 16 per cent below where it was last year as the start of 2020 was unaffected by Covid-19.
Yet operating profit is ahead of last year, because while passenger numbers are low, the company has also been able to slash costs.
For instance, because National Express is only carrying eight per cent of normal passenger numbers, it can run just 13 per cent of its normal coaches filling 85 per cent on those vehicles.
Chief executive Ignacio Garat said: “I am pleased to see the continued improving performance trajectory across our business in the first four months of 2021 despite the ongoing lockdown restrictions.
"It is very encouraging to see the positive impact on profit delivery of the management actions taken last year.”
The company’s UK bus routes are carrying around 60 per cent of pre-Covid passengers and running a full service, propped up by Government support.
Mr Garat added: “Whilst we remain focused on managing what we can control, we remain confident that as restrictions across the world are lifted we will see a strong recovery in demand for our services.”
