Exclusively for Buses, PAUL HEELS has again scrutinised the PSV Circle’s monthly newssheets to produce a unique independent analysis of how the competing chassis, body and complete vehicle manufacturers fared last year when demand for double-deckers fell by another 36% but deliveries of single-deckers and coaches fared better
First the good news. There was an 11% increase in the number of new single-deck buses delivered to UK operators last year and a major fleet order boosted the coach intake by 2%. But a 36% drop in double-deck bus deliveries meant that, at just 1,400 vehicles, the market as a whole contracted by another 14% in 2021.
The fall was not as sharp as the 40% drop in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic continued to cast a dark shadow over a market that has shrunk to a third of its peak of 4,128 vehicles in 2015.
