Page 18 - BusinessWest June 17, 2024

“More and more people are saying they don’t need to drive, particularly young people that live in the big city.”
people,” Picknelly said. “Our drivers choose what routes they want to operate and when they want to work. Our position is, if you like doing what you want to do, you’re going to do a better job.
“But you’ve got to like to drive, and you’ve got to like to deal with people,” he added. “We can train just about anybody to drive a bus. But you can’t train someone to have good customer-service skills. And wanting to drive is just something you’ve got to have a passion for. Because that’s what we do.”
The younger Picknelly agreed. “It’s good getting these young people on board because most of the time they’re pretty loyal, and they want to stick with the company for a long time. We have people who have been here for so long because they came on when they were younger and were extremely loyal to the company, and that’s what we’re hoping to get now.”
Shifting Gears
Looking to the future, Peter Pan continues to find more ways to be the transportation mode of choice for its customers, especially younger riders, and that means making their travel plans easier.
To that end, the company recently announced a new strategic partnership with Trailways, extending its network of destinations, as well as a strategic alliance with Amtrak.
“So you can take a train somewhere, and then they’ll connect to a bus, and we can take you right to the city center,” Peter A. Pick- nelly said, and from there, rideshares can take over. “We’re also forming alliances with Ubers and Lyfts where you can coordinate being picked up wherever we drop you off, and instantly getting in an Uber and taking it to your final destination. Because of this coor- dination, more and more people are saying they don’t need to drive, particularly young people that live in the big city.”
Statistics bear that trend out. Last year, driver’s license appli- cations actually went down, reversing a 50-year upward trend, he noted.
“It’s so convenient. If you go to Europe, taking public transporta- tion is always involved, and you’re seeing more of that here. It’s way more convenient, and with the amenities in the vehicle, you can
work or entertain yourself while you’re traveling. You can’t do that when you’re driving.”
Peter Pan also maintains a model of managing terminals — another one of Peter B. Picknelly’s roles — in its destination cities, with amenities like food, restrooms, a service counter, and a pickup area, instead of the model of picking up and dropping off on unat- tended corners.
“We don’t like picking up on a street corner like some of these other bus companies,” Peter B. added. “We like going into a termi- nal or a specific designated area, so they can have that one-on-one personal experience with our employees if they have an issue or have any questions or concerns. We’re a customer-driven business, so we like pleasing the customers.”
About 15% of Peter Pan’s business, meanwhile, is charter ser- vice to destinations not on the regular route plan.
“Charters are very big, and in the summer, it picks up a lot. There are people who go out to Saratoga Race Course on the week- end; that’s a very popular place. We’ll take them wherever.”
One shift that occurred over the pandemic years has been a move toward online booking, his father added.
“Prior to COVID, about 50% of our riders would buy their ticket a half-hour before departure, in person. Now, 90% of our sales now are in advance. Most people are booking within three days of their trip, online.”
But, as mentioned up top, the biggest story of the pandemic for Peter Pan was ... well, simply surviving it, and coming out stronger on the other side, with plans for the future and a band of 20-some- thing Picknellys ready to evolve into stronger leadership roles.
“We’re really proud of all of our staff,” their father said. “Listen, 40% of all bus companies didn’t make it through the pandemic. We did, and we’re thriving. We’ve had to change our focus on longer- distance trips, less commuter-related, more group travel, but we’re doing well.”
Peter B. Picknelly agreed. “In hindsight, COVID was horrible, but it made us think about how we could run things differently here, and it’s been beneficial.” BW
18 JUNE 24, 2024
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