Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
A FlixBus in Europe. FlixBus extended business to the Reno area in Aug. 2018, giving California students an opportunity to travel home for an affordable price.
After years of unreliable bus transportation to and from Reno, a solution may have been found.
FlixBus expanded their operation to the city earlier this month and has just announced routes to Sacramento, Southern California and the Bay Area.
FlixBus — a European company that expanded to the United States in May of this year — is offering Reno citizens inexpensive rides to and from Sacramento and Los Angeles six days a week. Reno residents can also use the service to get to the Bay Area on peak commuter days.
This expansion of the previously only-European service may have solved a new issue for university students. As many non-resident university students come from various regions of California, an inexpensive and reliable bus option is needed to head home for holidays and see families.
FlixBus’s inexpensive tickets start at only $2.99, making them significantly less expensive than their competitors such as MegaBus, Amtrak and Greyhound. A FlixBus ticket from Reno to Sacramento will only cost $4.99 while a ticket for the same route on Greyhound costs $13, according to the FlixBus and Greyhound websites.
FlixBus’s success has been unanticipated, with more than 2,000 tickets sold for Reno’s various routes to California in just two weeks according to FlixBus spokesperson Ryan Marquardt.
FlixBus expansion to Reno is likely to end rocky bus transportation reliability that has been taking place since the beginning of the year. In January, MegaBus confirmed with the Reno Gazette-Journal that all service in Reno will be ending.
“Megabus.com (is) restructuring our network to reflect the changing travel patterns that we are experiencing due to historically low fuel prices, and low-cost airlines,” Sean Hughes, director of corporate affairs for Megabus.com North America, said to the Reno-Gazette Journal.
The end of MegaBus service from Reno to Sacramento and the Bay Area was a huge loss for university students who regularly travelled home to California, due to the affordable cost of a ticket. A ticket from Reno to Sacramento ran for less than $10, making it cheaper than a Greyhound ticket at $13 or Amtrak train ride at $90.
The company made the move to serve the United States after finding data showing that young people would rather ride a bus than own a car due to the increase of productivity it allows, as people can work on busses but not while driving their own cars.
“The new generation does not want to drive anymore,” Gourdin said in an interview with VentureBeat. “We have heard it loud and clear. Driving time is not efficient time.”
FlixBus partners with local bus companies and assists the rebranding of the local companies busses into FlixBus’ signature lime green and orange busses. After the busses are rebranded, FlixBus handles the routing, marketing, branding and booking, according to a NOAH Conference article.
Started by Jochen Engert, Daniel Krauss, and André Schwämmlein in Germany, FlixBus is combining e-commerce with the transportation industry. Rides on Flixbus can be booked at Flixbus.com.