The search for buses amidst a long distance boom | Made in Germany

The German long-distance bus market is booming, but vehicle manufacturers are seeing very little of the profits. The number of buses has risen dramatically since the deregulation of the market two years ago. But market leaders such as Mein Fernbus and Postbus mainly use second-hand vehicles from subcontractors.

So far it's only the decorators who are reaping the benefits. They deck out the old buses with the long-distance giants' corporate design - much more lucrative than buying a new bus which can cost up to €1 m. But that could be set to change, because the old buses are beginning to show their age. Over 20 million customers use the services per year, and there's an increasing demand for comfort.