Virus taking the bus out of business

The trail of destruction from the pandemic runs straight through Craig’s Mini Buses, where things are so bad in the business that they can’t even sell the buses.

Things are so bad in the bus business that Sydneysiders Craig and Marie Hartley can’t even sell their vehicles. Picture: News Corp Australia

The trail of destruction from the coronavirus pandemic runs straight through Craig’s Mini Buses, where things are so bad in the business that they can’t even sell the buses — no one’s buying.

Craig and Marie Hartley have for 20 years run a small but successful business from Castle Hill in Sydney’s northwest built on contracts with schools, the government and airports. “We do a lot of work for various government agencies like diplomatic, law enforcement, military. That all dried up because no one is allowed to travel,” Mr Hartley said.

The COVID-19 conundrum has pinched the business on both ends: airport trips are cancelled for the foreseeable future while the disruption of schools and cancellation of trips has hit them hard on the home front.

“Our board was full for work for this year but if I were to show our desk planner now, it’s complete empty,” Mr Hartley said.

“One of our vehicles, I’ve just taken the plates off and gave them back to (Roads and Maritime ­Services).”

Transport services, including air, coach, or train travel, is the single hardest hit part of the economy, according to the latest economic snapshot. The last quarter saw a 17.6 per cent drop in spending on services. Transport ser­vices saw spending collapse 88 per cent.

BusNSW executive director Matt Threlkeld said almost one in five buses in the state’s charter fleet had been deregistered.

“BusNSW is in discussions with the NSW government regarding industry support measures that recognise a significantly reduced level of activity and will assist operators to stay in business,” he said.

Mr Hartley said with so many other bus businesses hit hard, there’s no point in trying to sell his vehicles. “Everyone has vehicles sitting around, there’s so many sitting around they’re not worth much on the market,” he said.

“They’re too expensive to register and we’d no sooner get work and then the government changes the guidelines.”

Now all they’ve got to show for 20 years of hard work are three buses parked at the family home in Sydney’s northwest.

Ms Hartley is looking for a job to help pay the bills. She said the family’s business story was writ large across Sydney. “About 1400 people provide airport transfers in Sydney, mum-and-dad businesses running bus companies, then you’ve got your larger companies with fleets of coach-sized buses,” she said. “We’ve had to let go of the admin staff, the drivers, we’re the only ones left. Without JobKeeper, we would be looking at selling our home.”