Introduction

Background

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). Through this scheme, all children and young people resident in Scotland (including asylum seekers and refugees) are eligible to apply for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC), which provide access to free bus travel. Around 930,000 children and young people are estimated to be eligible. The scheme provides free travel on any bus in any part of Scotland, with young people able to travel on buses both locally, and outside the area they live - although a few services, such as premium-fare night buses and City Sightseeing buses, are not included within the free travel scheme.

The scheme aims to encourage more sustainable travel behaviours and tackle issues related to transport poverty and access to services by:

  • embedding positive sustainable travel behaviours;
  • opening up social, education, employment and leisure opportunities; and
  • reducing household outgoings to aid children, particularly those living in poverty.

A series of expected outcomes were also established when designing the scheme in order to monitor and measure success. These were split into short, medium and long term outcomes, as follows:

Short Term Outcomes:

  1. Increased numbers of young people registering for a card/aware of the scheme
  2. Fewer young people learning to drive
  3. Increased awareness of bus as a viable travel option
  4. Increased awareness of bus as a viable travel option amongst young women
  5. Reduction in travel costs for young people and their families

Medium Term Outcomes:

  1. Increased numbers of young people using the scheme for journeys otherwise paid for
  2. Journeys which would have been made by car (driving/lift from parents etc.) are made by bus
  3. Young people have increased access to services

Long Term Outcomes:

  1. Reduction in poverty rates amongst young people
  2. Improved access to education and employment opportunities
  3. Improved access to social and leisure opportunities/activities
  4. Reduction in private car kilometres

Transport Scotland are committed to monitoring and evaluating the scheme as it progresses. A baseline survey was conducted before the scheme was launched to establish young people’s pre-implementation travel behaviours and attitudes towards bus use. This was followed by an evaluation of the scheme after it had been operational for a year.

Methodology and Sample Profile

Wellside Research Ltd. (an independent social research consultancy), supported by Stantec (a transport planning consultancy), were appointed to undertake the Year One Evaluation. Work was conducted between April and August 2023.

Both primary data collection and analysis of secondary data sources was required, with a mixed methods approach adopted, as follows:

  • A survey with young people and their parents/carers;
  • Focus groups with young people, parents/carers, and other bus users;
  • A consultation-based survey with professional stakeholders and interested professional organisations; and
  • Analysis of secondary data sources.

This report presents the findings from the professional stakeholder consultation survey only, and includes feedback on both the process of setting up and implementing the scheme, as well its impact. Feedback from the other evaluation strands (which largely focused on feedback from young people and families) is presented in the Year One Evaluation Report.

Professional Stakeholder Survey

In order to provide the opportunity for inclusive and widespread feedback from scheme partners, professional stakeholders and other interested organisations, an online consultation questionnaire was designed. This consisted of mostly open questions which allowed for the collection of qualitative data, and sought feedback on any impact the scheme had had on their own organisation or services, impacts on young people and families, impacts on the local area more generally, unintended consequences, and any lessons that could be learned going forwards.

The survey was live for five weeks, and ran from 12 June to 16 July 2023.

A wide range of stakeholders were identified and were invited to participate in the consultation survey by Transport Scotland, including:

  • Those currently delivering the scheme;
  • All local authorities;
  • Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs);
  • Bus and other public transport operators;
  • Active travel organisations;
  • Representative bodies; and
  • Other special interest organisations (such as those focused on/working with children and young people, families, education and skills, etc.).

In total, 46 responses were received. Responses were categorised by sector for analysis purposes, as follows:

  • 9 bus operators;
  • 1 other public transport operator;
  • 14 local authorities submitted 19 responses (5 local authorities submitted different responses for different departments);
  • 6 RTPs;
  • 2 active travel organisations;
  • 2 representative bodies;
  • 2 children and families’ rights/support/campaign organisations;
  • 4 organisations related to skills, training and education; and
  • 1 other type of organisation.

Of these responses, 30 indicated they had a role or responsibility for directly supporting the delivery of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme. This included bus operators, local authorities, those organisations responsible for managing the scheme, and a small number of other organisations across other sectors who were responsible for delivering bus services or represented bus operators, or who supported young people to access the scheme.

Research Caveats and Report Presentation

It should be noted that not all stakeholders responded to the survey, meaning not all sectors were represented equally within the results, with some sectors only including responses from a small number of organisations (in some cases just one). As such, some of the impacts or challenges faced by the various stakeholder groups, local areas more generally, and other forms of travel/transport may not have been fully identified and explored by the research. That being said, it is worth noting that a high level of consistency was found between the views, issues and experiences reported by the different stakeholders who took part. There was also a high level of congruence between professional stakeholders and the views and experiences provided by young people and their parents/carers (as presented in the Year One Evaluation Report).

In most instances, respondents are referenced in relation to their sector, however, due to the small number of respondents in some sectors, there are some instances where the sector is not identified in order to maintain anonymity.

Finally, although some respondents did rely on and reference data sources in their responses, much of the feedback provided represents stakeholder views/opinions.