Online bus agency rort

[JuanRosa]

Been frustrated for a while at the increasing amount of online sites that are offering "Cheap or affordable" bus charter online from an online agency.
These sites are deceptive as they claim to be Australia Wide coach companies but they don't even own a single vehicle. They don't carry accreditation or insurance and use a series of subs to do their jobs. Are people really that desperate for work that they will actually do jobs for them? I find the whole uninsured bus company who does not hold accreditation or registered travel agent status dodgy. How are they allowed to trade?
ones I have found so far are bus charter.com.au, travelsafe.com.au,transportnetworkaustralia.com.au, amazingsydneycoachcharter.com.au, www.premiercoachhire.com.au, planbtransport.com.au, www.minibushire.com.au, www.emptyroads.com.au.
Im sure there are plenty more.
Seems these companies are cheapening an already bottomed out industry. As an example I got a price from one of these mobs to go from Brisbane airport to Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast on a weekend for a 53 seat coach. They quoted me $440 WTF. Logically they are a business so wouldn't take less than 25% off the top, therefor an operator would bee doing the jb for between $330-$350. 5 hrs wages at $48/hr plus super/workcover $8/hr (56/hr x 5 hrs = $290 wages cost) minus GST $30
Income for operator $330
Minus GST - $30
Income after GST $300
Wages cost $290
Money left for bus operation cost including tolls, airport pickup fees, general running cost of bus, fuel, maintenance, rego, cleaning, insurance..........$10
Absolutely absurd, operators need to stop raping each other and boycott these vultures.

[adrian]

Agree 100 per cent, these parasites should not be allowed to operate.

[boronia]

Similar in principal to hotel booking sites, or airline booking sites.

If coach operators are accepting work at these rates, that is their problem, isn't it? They are probably not paying proper wages, but probably wouldn't be if they were quoting direct for the job.

A few years ago I was booking subbies for a large operator in Sydney. I could get quality coaches from quality Newcastle or Wollongong operators cheaper than I could get in Sydney.

[counterweight]

I can add some comment here.
Plan B transport is a legitimate operator, as far as i am aware.
Other 'e-bus' companies include Travelsafe, BushireCompare, BusCharter.com.au, First Choice Charter, TNA Bus Hire, GoGo Charters.
My company has worked with the majority of the above. They all seem to use the same booking software [ecoachmanager] - maybe there's a reason for this?
One of the companies was Travelsafe. During December they launched a 'sister company', called BusHireCompare. We know this as we got the automated booking emails with 'The Travelsafe Team' written in places.
Since January our account has been unpaid. We are concerned that Travelsafe, having few assets to secure it, might be Phoenixing into BusHireCompare.
This week we stopped service over this concern. This online review [attached] collaborates our concern.

A warning to all - any company offering service in more than one state with white coaches isn't a real coach company. It is a middleman who will only provide communication difficulties and doesn't know one end of a bus to another. Broadly speaking you can get a better service at almost the same price if you book direct, not The lack of physical assets - real buses, a real depot and real people - means they have the ability to disappear into the fire without a trace. Book with local companies, with a depot address set in an industrial estate - not an office building, post box or 'nationwide', or a sole operator that you trust. I won't say that things won't go wrong either way, but if you book with a company directly they will prioritize you down to their last man & last vehicle, a service the online companies can't. If you currently work with Travelsafe, don't walk away, run.

[chivik]

Very true! I have been a registered operator in Victoria since 2017 and just got my accreditation this year. These agencies are not doing any good for us operators. Please help spread the good news, here is my new website: https://busanddriverhire.com.au/. I've got a few buses and I do charters, bus and driver hire for any destination in Victoria. I am an accredited bus operator and also have a tourism business called Melbourne Daily Tours. Thanks Guys.