Executive summary

Introduction

On the 31 January 2022, the Scottish Government launched the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme (also known as the Under 22s (or U22s) scheme). This entitles all young people aged between five and 21 resident in Scotland to apply for free bus travel across the country.

Transport Scotland commissioned an evaluation of the scheme to consider its first year of operation. The research involved:

  • An online survey of young people and their parents/carers, which allowed comparisons with the baseline survey conducted ahead of the scheme’s launch;
  • A series of focus groups with young people and their parents/carers, as well as other bus users not eligible for the scheme (i.e. aged 22+);
  • An online consultation survey with professional stakeholders and other interested professional organisations; and
  • Analysis of secondary data sources.

This report outlines the findings from the stakeholder consultation survey. Feedback from the other research elements are included in a separate report. A summary report also draws together the key findings from all research strands.

Stakeholder Survey Sample

Fieldwork for the stakeholder survey occurred over five weeks during June and July 2023, and 46 responses were received in total. This included responses from across a range of different sectors, although local authorities, bus operators and Regional Transport Partnerships (RPTs) represented nearly two thirds of the sample.

Key Findings

Policy Awareness

Overall awareness of the scheme and it’s aims and objectives was high. Respondents were also highly supportive of the scheme generally, and of its aims in relation to encouraging more environmentally friendly travel behaviours, and to provide benefits to young people and their families. It was also noted that the scheme aligned well with other national and local policies and priorities, particularly in relation to tackling poverty and encouraging greater equality/equity.

It was felt, however, that the main limitation of the policy/scheme was the differing provision of bus services across the country. It was suggested that the scheme was only as good as the bus services available to young people.

Application and Other Scheme Processes

Stakeholders with a role/responsibility for directly supporting the delivery of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme were asked to outline any setup and early implementation challenges. Overall, 19 respondents outlined operational challenges, five discussed infrastructure challenges, and 11 noted funding challenges. Most of the respondents were local authorities.

The main challenge discussed across all aspects was the application process. This was noted to have placed an unexpectedly high burden on local authorities during the initial launch of the scheme. Respondents highlighted that the online application process had been challenging for young people and their parents/carers to complete, and had resulted in a high volume of queries, and requests for support and updates on their application directed towards the local authorities. It was also suggested that no additional funding or resources were available to support this. Similarly, other organisations felt that that the funding they had received to support the launch of the scheme was not sufficient.

Some local authorities noted that they had adapted to try and deal with the application issues. This included introducing alternative processes for verifying applicants’ identification, the ability to apply via schools (again to support ID verification), and changes to how queries were dealt with. A few indicated that similar changes had been made to other application and query processes, bringing wider benefits. Despite such local changes, and updates/improvements to the online via the getyourNEC application process, there was some concern that the negative perception around the process persisted. It was also suggested that there was scope for further improvements to be made, and that greater guidance and support should be made available to applicants.

Capacity issues on buses were also discussed, particularly on services used by school pupils around the start and end of the school day.

Impact on Young People and their Families

The Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme was felt to have brought cost savings, and reduced anxiety over travel costs/removed the cost barrier to travel for both young people and their families - indeed, this was considered to be one of the main benefits of the scheme. The universal nature of the scheme was also considered positively, avoiding any stigma for users.

In particular, respondents felt that the scheme had helped to remove some of the cost barrier to accessing education, especially further and higher education. It was felt this provided greater equality in access and supported students to continue with their studies and attend all classes, where previously they may not have been able to afford the travel costs to attend.

Respondents across a range of sectors also felt that the scheme was highly beneficial for young people and their families during the current ‘cost of living crisis’. It was suggested that the money saved on travel would be available for other household expenses, and that young people could continue to access activities and opportunities without being restricted by travel costs.

Another main benefit brought by the scheme was considered to be increased freedom and independence for young people. It was noted that they could travel more often, more independently and without relying on others, do more with their friends, and travel further afield. Many stakeholders noted that more young people were travelling by bus more often since the introduction of the scheme.

Stakeholders also felt that the scheme had supported young people to access a wide range of opportunities. This included access to social and leisure activities, education, employment and support services; supported students to visit home more often; and for some island residents to access activities on the mainland.

It was also suggested that the scheme had wider benefits by encouraging more families to travel by bus due to the financial savings of not paying for the child’s/young person’s ticket.

Impact of the Scheme on Others

In relation to benefits for local communities, several stakeholders suggested there had been a positive impact on employment in local areas as the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme meant young people could now access job opportunities more easily. Others suggested that young people were now accessing local areas and spending money in local shops and services, thus boosting the local economy. It was also felt there would be environmental benefits caused by a reduction in car use, due to parents having to drive their children to locations/venues less often.

The impacts on bus operators generally related to increased numbers of young people using their services. This was said to have generated timetable delays as buses spent longer at stops to scan the travel cards. It was also suggested this had generated capacity issues on some services/routes, and had resulted in increased problems with anti-social behaviour. A few, however, noted the increased revenue generated by higher numbers of passengers/young people using services, and suggested that the scheme had helped to support post-Covid bus patronage recovery and the sustainability of bus services.

Impacts of the scheme on other modes of public transport were also discussed. It was suggested that rail patronage had declined among those now eligible for free bus travel, and that lower proportions of young people had been using the Glasgow Subway over more recent months. However, the extent to which this latter change could be attributed to the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme is unclear as the timing of the change did not coincide with the launch of the scheme.

As noted above, the main impact of the scheme on local authorities was the additional resource requirements to support and manage applications and enquiries for the scheme. Capacity issues and anti-social behaviour were also noted as issues for some local authorities, along with impacts on school transport provision (discussed below).

A range of impacts/benefits for others were also outlined. This included funds being reallocated from covering travel expenses to other requirements and discretionary payments, for example for third sector and support organisations, as well as skills, training and educational establishments who previously awarded travel grants/emergency payments or covered travel costs for service users to attend.

Scheme Challenges and Suggested Changes

A range of additional impacts, challenges and possible changes to the scheme were discussed by respondents. These included:

  • Differences in access to bus services and the scheme, both due to general service provision and the risks/impacts of reductions in service provision in some areas. It was suggested that the scheme be extended to include ferries (in order to support island residents), and rail travel;
  • Impacts on school transport. This included a range of issues, including:
    • Local authorities revising and adapting how school transport was offered to integrate the scheme and offer updated/amended routes;
    • Pupils choosing whether to use their allocated school transport service or a regular service bus; and
    • Local authorities using registered/subsidised local bus services to provide school transport (via school issued bus passes) highlighted capacity issues on services, making it difficult for some pupils entitled to free school transport to access services. A few local authorities noted they had had to pay for additional capacity in the form of additional buses/services.
  • A perceived rise in instances of anti-social behaviour on-board buses, at bus stops/stations, and in new areas. Respondents suggested there was a need for greater policing of the scheme and penalties for perpetrators, such as suspending access to the scheme, or implementing the times of day when the free travel applies;
  • Concerns that the scheme may have a negative impact on other passengers, mainly due to capacity issues and the perception of anti-social behaviour. A few were also concerned that student discount tickets may be withdrawn, impacting students aged 22+, which led to suggestions that the scheme be extended up to the age of 26 and/or to all students regardless of age;
  • Concern that current bus service/scheme provision did not fully meet the needs of young people, and a desire to ensure that future provision meets the needs of all users; and
  • Concerns were also raised about the welfare of young people able to travel far from home without parental consent, and in relation to reimbursement rates where it was stressed these should be maintained at sufficient levels to support service provision.

Conclusion

The consultation highlighted a wide range of benefits brought by the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, principle among these being the financial benefits for young people, as well as increased independence and access to services and opportunities. A range of other elements that will require further monitoring were also identified, including capacity issues on some services/routes, instances of anti-social behaviour, and the impact on school transport provision. The application process was also highlighted as remaining problematic for some, while access to bus services was flagged as creating inequalities in delivering the benefits of the scheme. Overall, however, the scheme has been well received to date, and was strongly supported by professional stakeholders. It also appears that many of the scheme’s aims and expected outcomes are achieving positive progress or are being met, although ongoing and longer-term monitoring will be important to establish any further impacts and the full extent of any changes.