After having beaten the competion, with his luxurious yet low cost buses, now the owner of Student Agency challenges the railway monopoly of České dráhy. One can only be led to thinking that in the following months we will see wonders in the passenger transport market.
Not content with having ruined the road transport market, with his unmistakably golden buses. Radim Jančura, the owner od Student Agency, is unleashing his yellow revolution in the railway services sector, where up to now the gigantic state railway company České dráhy have always been unopposed leaders.
His weapons are still the same, high level services at affordable prices. He promised it himself during the presentation of his distinctly yellow trains under the name of RegioJet (the railway branch of the Student Agency group). With these trains in September the Prague-Ostrava line (365Km) will be put into effect, which he states “will reach the destination in three and a half hours.”
The fact they have to compete with České dráhy, on a line where the state company uses high speed trains does not frighten Jančura, who is confident of finishing as the victor in the challenge.
On the surface it would seem to be a David vs Goliath battle, if it wasn’t for the fact that this entrepeneur has already demonstrated his capability and ability to bring other gigantic competitors to their knees.
“Our tickets will cost a lot less and our services will undoubtedly be better,” he said guaranteeing comfortable seats and airplane services on board, as in his buses, and also impeccable hostesses who offer newspapers and earphones for passengers who want to watch films or listen to music or news on the radio.
All passengers will have coffee, mineral water and tea included in the ticket price. At an extra cost also top class restaurant services will be available, even exclusive dishes such as sushi.
A challenge which will certainly not leave České dráhy feeling indifferent. In fact they have already announced that they want to achieve improvements in services on board.
The career of the moravian entrepeneur-
Forty years old, with a degree at the Brno University of Technology, and known for his image as a man with simple tastes without the typical excesses of a man who has become rich very quickly. He founded Student agency in 1996, a company which at the time offered language courses abroad and student au pair experiences. A winning formula in the new democracy of the Czech Republic with many young people wanting to learn the languages and travel around the world despite having little money.
He himself spent his first years as a graduate in London, maintaining himself with random part time jobs and meanwhile perfecting his english.
In the following years Jančura established himself successfully in other sectors, ranging his activity from the sale of plane tickets to passenger road transport. Initially his buses had obstacles, since the stations didn’t want them. Now apart from connecting the main cities of the Czech Republic, the yellow student agency buses provide services to 29 european states.
His baptism in the Czech business elite took place in 2005 when he was awarded the title of entrepeneur of the year in a competition organized by Ernst & Young.
In 2007 Student Agency received the award for best passenger transport agency in the Czech Republic.
The ultimate bus
The final winning move of Jančura took place around the first of August when he put twenty buses in service on the immensely popular Prague-Brno route, all of which were in mint condition. The benchmark of european buses in terms of comfort and modernity. Among the innovations, was the television screen available to all passengers with the choice of 50 films on demand, the electrical socket for Pcs and the super speed internet wi-fi network for those who want to work during the journey. It has been verified that in the whole european continent there are no more than sixty buses with comparable characteristics. The on board staff are remarkably efficient, mainly consisting of young university students or fresh graduates, who speak at least two european languages and are enthusiastic due to the knowledge it is an important work experience for their CV and future plans. The cost of the journey: 200 crowns, barely over eight euros. The same Prague-Brno journey with České dráhy trains would cost 300 crowns in second class, often in almost dilapidated wagons.
All of these facts back up the assumption that the yellow revolution of Radim Jančurawill continue in the following years.
By Kateřina Veselá