The remaining two thirds of all operators are engaged in tour and charter, school pupil services, services for the elderly and handicapped, and recently deregulated long distance express coach services, etc. Many of them are one and two vehicle operations. Under PTA contracts, Swedish operators see profit margins go down and in some cases even face possible financial collapse. Everyone in the business recognized this problem, PTA spokesmen and operators alike. So far, PTA contracts have mostly been of the gross cost type.
Operators get their pay, whether they run buses filled to capacity or empty.
They have no way of influencing their revenue. The contracts in the industry are now being discussed. Still competition has led the industry into a dead-end street. What the industry now wants to an increasing extent some of the independent minors may still oppose this are net cost contracts. This would have a larger portion of marketing sales responsibility turned over to the operators.