Given that they currently do not pay for their capital or overheads, that flat fare would need to be substantially above its current level for TRB to be truly commercial with no charge on government. At higher fare levels the smaller vehicles on the shorter routes could make substantial profits. In fact, that is not being achieved at the moment. So long as the management of TRB is subject to direct political intervention in its commercial strategies, it will not be able to compete equally with the private sector, and the social services it is supposed to provide will continue to decline. All operations, whether public or private, should be under similar conditions.
All operators then act as agents for the public interest in the provision of service.
Complete commercialization of TRB would eliminate any advantage of continued public ownership. Second Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project. Staff Appraisal Report.