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Chapter 3
Supporting Evidence
3.1 User Perspective
The following summarises various concerns which have emerged through material examined for the Bus Policy Overview.
Correspondence on Bus Issues The Scottish Executive received 112 correspondence cases on bus issues during the period 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006. The main concern for correspondents was levels of service provision, most notably the withdrawal/reduction of services in Glasgow and its surrounding area. The other issues raised are shown in descending order: Service reliability
Vehicle quality issues
Stagecoach/Citylink Joint Venture
Bus Route Development Grant
Bus information
Fares
Accessibility
Driver conduct/driving standards
Anti-social behaviour
Regulation/Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 Parliamentary Questions Sixteen bus policy questions were asked in the period 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006. Seven of these were from MSPs with constituencies in the SPT area and related mainly to service and subsidy provision and quality improvement measures. The other questions covered Bus Route Development Grant, fares, service provision in the Scottish Borders, and passenger numbers on Perthshire services. Response from MSPs to Invitation to Comment as Part of the Bus Policy Overview Fifteen responses were received. Comments were wide ranging including support for better integration and availability of rural transport services, promotion of locally run rural community transport initiatives, enhanced grants, rural fare levels, vehicle accessibility, timetable co-ordination, the impact of service withdrawals (particularly in areas of high deprivation, smaller population centres and where services run at night, provide journey connections or access to NHS services), lack of public consultation on service withdrawals, support for increased regulation to address issues such as 'cherry picking', need for more park and ride facilities and support for driver training in customer care. The Scottish Conservative & Unionist MSPs offered a group response which argued that regulatory interference over bus services should not be increased and that local authorities concerned about their local bus services should examine best practice voluntary partnership working in other areas. Review of Focus Group Information by MVA Consultancy Common concerns which emerged were the absence of direct links to key destinations, inadequate bus stop, timetable and travel information, unreliable and poor frequency of services, poor quality of infrastructure and lack of bus passenger priority, personal safety/security while travelling by bus and value for money compared to travel by car. Concerns in the East of Scotland focussed more on frequency of service, lack of direct routes, inadequate information and unreliability compared to concerns about personal safety, lack of bus passenger priority and poor integration between operators (including adverse impacts from competition) in the West of Scotland. |
3.2 Finance for Bus Service Provision
The Scottish government provided the following finance to bus services in 2005-06: Bus Service Operators Grant of £56.6m; Grant Aided Expenditure for socially necessary services of £26.5m; Bus Route Development Grant funding of £2.5m; Rural Public Passenger Grant funding of £6.1m; Public Transport Fund funding of £18.7m, which has funded, amongst other things, measures to improve personal safety such as well-lit bus stops and CCTV; Regional Transport Partnerships capital funding of £10.5m from 2006-07; and Demand Responsive Transport Scheme allocation of £0.8m.
The concessionary travel Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People has capped funding of up to £159m in 2006-07. As bus operators are re-imbursed for concessionary travel on the 'no better, no worse' principle, the purpose of the payments received is to compensate for lost passenger revenue and for additional costs arising through taking part in the Scheme.
In addition, there is an £18m investment programme to equip every bus with new ticketing machines and the Young Persons Concessionary Travel Scheme, due to start in January 2007, has a budget of £27-30m each year for discounted travel on public transport.
Bus Service Operators Grant (formerly Fuel Duty Rebate) re-imburses about 80% of the Fuel Duty paid in relation to local registered bus services. The bus industry is the only public transport sector which pays a significant amount of Fuel Duty. Commercial aviation and electric-power rail pay no Fuel Duty. Diesel-powered rail pays a rate of 4.22 pence per litre - compared to bus which pays 47.1 pence per litre gross and 9.42 pence (or 123% more) after receipt of Bus Service Operators Grant.
3.3 Passenger Journeys
Bus passenger numbers have declined since 1975 but have stabilised in recent years. Recently there has been a small increase in bus passenger numbers but this needs to be seen against a background of significant growth in travel concessions since 2002 and substantial falls in bus use from the 1960s and 70s. Key facts are as follows.
- There have been increases in bus passenger journeys in 6 of the last 7 years.
- The number of bus passenger journeys in 2005-06 was 13% above the figure for 1998-99.
- However, of the 479 million passenger journeys in 2004-05, 144.5 million were concessionary journeys. In fact since 2002-03 the number of commercial (i.e. non-concessionary) journeys has been relatively flat.
- The flat trend is still likely to be an improvement over the longer term trend - in terms of total journeys, there were 687 million journeys in 1985-86, 891 million journeys in 1975, and 1,700 million journeys in 1960.
3.4 Regional Variations in Passenger Numbers
Bus services are delivered locally and the transport plans of local and regional authorities need to address local issues and factors to deliver a bus network that meets local economic and social needs and achieves a step change in performance.
There is a noticeable variation in bus use across Scotland. Factors such as rurality, population trends, levels of car ownership and siting of employment centres affect bus use. Between 1998-99 and 2004-05, regional changes in bus use have included:
- no change in Tayside
- an increase of 7% in Strathclyde and Grampian
- an increase of 18% in Lothian.
3.5 Numbers of Licensed Motor Vehicles
Car use has grown substantially over the last 30 years which is a large factor in the reduction in bus passenger journeys. If this trend continues unchanged congestion will increase with a consequential further deterioration of the bus network. To achieve a step change car restraint measures should be considered as part of transport planning.
3.6 Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey 2005
The Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey is an annual survey of some 1,750 people conducted using telephone interviews between 2002-05. The level of satisfaction with 'Overall Service' is at its highest level in 2005. The level of satisfaction with 'Value for Money' is at its lowest level in 2005.
3.7 Travel to Work by Bus
Factors affecting bus use include the availability of a car, service provision, distance travelled, congestion and relative journey times of bus and car. Across Scotland the percentage of people using the bus for work is: Scotland - 13%; Edinburgh - 26%; Glasgow and Dundee - 20%; Aberdeen -13%; Rural Areas - 6%.
Individual Operators - Examples of Achievements First Bus - Glasgow Entered into a voluntary Quality Partnership with Glasgow City Council; with Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and West Dunbartonshire Council, jointly developed and funded Streamline - an enhanced bus service on key bus corridors; have invested in 220 new low-floor vehicles. Lothian Buses A number of achievements, including a simplified bus network and night buses; a flat fare - amongst cheapest in UK; Bus Rapid Transit; close working with local authority developing bus passenger priority; large investment in new vehicles. Travel Dundee Achievement of a 100% low-floor bus fleet; establishment of a voluntary Quality Partnership in September 2005 with Dundee City Council, Tayside Police and Stagecoach Fife (Strathtay); Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnership being developed; and a Public Transport Information Strategy to be adopted by 31 December 2006. |
3.8 Bus Operators
While there are over 280 bus operators in Scotland, just 6 of the operators provide 93.7% of the bus market. These 6 are shown in the following Chart.
3.9 Changes since De-regulation in 1986
The Transport Act 1985 led to de-regulation of the bus industry and privatisation of most of the bus operators owned by central and local government. Since 1985 passenger numbers have declined, but stabilised over recent years; and the vehicle distance travelled has increased.
There has also been an i ncrease in the efficiency of bus operations with substantial reductions in operating costs. But there has also been a decline in bus use in comparison to a substantial increase in vehicles licensed, which has resulted in lower passenger receipts. An increase in distance travelled has reflected the increased number of buses required to maintain headway due to congestion, the size of the bus network and frequency of operation. In particular, by 2004-05:
- operating costs had been reduced by 49% (in real terms, i.e. after taking account of inflation)
- fares had increased by 19% (in real terms)
- passenger receipts had been reduced by 14% (in real terms) and passenger journeys by 30%
- distance travelled had increased by 28%
- number of motor vehicles licensed had increased by 61%.
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