Chapter 2: Bus and Coach Travel

Chapter 2 infographic

Bus and Coach Travel

1. Introduction

1.1 This chapter provides information on bus and coach travel, such as the numbers of passenger journeys and vehicle-kilometres, passenger receipts and local bus fare indices, the numbers of vehicles of various types and the numbers of staff employed.

1.2 Estimates of passenger numbers, receipts and fares are based on a survey by the DfT and are therefore subject to sampling error. Figures from 2004-05 onwards are based on an improved methodology and may not be directly comparable with previous years. See the Notes and Definitions section, page 225.

Key points

366 million journeys were made by bus in 2019-20. Almost two fifths of these were made under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme.
There were 1.4 million people with National Concessionary Travel cards in Scotland in 2020.
The bus industry received £314 million in funding from local or central government in 2018-19. Passenger revenue in 2019-20 stood at £341 million in Scotland.

2. Main Points

Vehicles and Passengers

2.1 Around 366 million passenger journeys were made by bus in Scotland in 2019-20. This is a decrease of 3.2 per cent on 2018-19 and a 25 per cent fall from a peak in 2007-08. Journeys under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme make up almost two fifths of this figure (38%). (Table 2.2a)

2.2 Although vehicle kilometres have risen by 1 per cent over the last year, the distance covered fell in eight of the last twelve years. (Table 2.3a)

2.3 The number of buses in operators' fleets increased by 3 per cent since 2014-15 and there was a 5 per cent increase in the number of staff employed in the industry over the same period. (Table 2.1a and 2.4)

2.4 Both Great Britain as a whole, and Scotland have seen passenger journeys fall by 12% over the past five years. Great Britain vehicle kilometres fell by 10% compared to no change for Scotland. (Table 2.2a and 2.3a)

2.5 The picture of bus use in Scotland also contrasts with train travel in Scotland, which accounts for only a quarter of the passenger journeys made by bus but has seen steady increases in passenger numbers over the past few years. (Table SGB1)

2.6 Bus travel in the Southwest and Strathclyde and South East (corresponding to the Regional Transport Partnership areas of SPT, SWestrans (Dumfries and Galloway) and SEStran) accounts for 84 per cent of bus journeys in Scotland. (Table 2.2b)

2.7 Bus use is higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas. The Scottish Household Survey travel diary shows 53 per cent of those who used the bus the previous day lived in large urban areas compared to three per cent of users living in remote rural areas. (This compares to population estimates of 35% living in large urban areas and 6% living in remote rural areas.) These figures are supported by the results of the more general question on bus use included in the Transport and Travel in Scotland publication which shows 54 per cent of respondents in large urban areas had used the bus in the last month compared to 20 per cent of those in remote rural areas. (Table 2.10)

Operator revenue

2.8 Bus operators in Scotland received £694 million in revenue in 2018-19, an increase of 1 per cent on the previous year and a 5 per cent increase over the last 5 years. Adjusting for the effects of inflation total passenger revenue was 4 per cent less than 5 years ago. (Table 2.8)

2.9 Almost half (£314 million, 45%) of operator revenue came from local or central government: through concessionary travel reimbursement, Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) or supported services. Passenger revenue (i.e. ticket sales to non-concessionary passengers) accounted for around 55 per cent of operators' revenue (£380 million). Additional non-revenue support is excluded from these figures, specifically the Scottish Green Bus Fund and the Bus Investment Fund. (Table 2.8)

2.10 In real terms (adjusting for the effects of inflation), funding from local and national government is now 4 per cent lower than five years ago and overall passenger revenue is 3 percent less than 5 years ago. When looking at these figures it is necessary to consider the passenger number figures in Table 2.2a and the fares data in Table 2.5. Passenger revenue over the last five years has not increased due to a 10 per cent decrease in passengers, although fares have increased by 9 per cent above general inflation over the same period. (Table 2.8, 2.2a and 2.5)

Fares

2.11 Bus fares in Scotland have increased by 9 per cent in real terms (adjusting for the effects of inflation) over the past five years, while the increase for Great Britain was 4 per cent. In current prices, i.e. viewing fare increases in the way that a consumer would, fares have risen by almost 19 per cent over the past five years. The increase in current prices is higher than in Great Britain as a whole which has seen an increase of 13 per cent over the last five years. (Table 2.5)

Operator costs

2.12 Although operating costs for bus operators rose to a peak in 2011-12 they then fell over the next few years. However, they have started to rise again and over the past five years operating costs per vehicle km have increased by 3 per cent in real terms. Operating costs per journey over the same 5 year period have risen by 15 per cent from £1.60 per passenger journey to £1.84. Although the operating costs per vehicle km is lower than for the rest of GB (excluding London), operating costs per passenger journey remain higher in GB (£1.84 in Scotland, compared to £1.63 for GB excluding London). See also 'Other sources of data', as more detailed costs data is available from the Confederation of Passenger Transport. (Table 2.6 and 2.7)

Passenger Satisfaction

2.13 People were satisfied with most aspects of bus services that the Scottish Household Survey asked them about. (Table 2.11)

2.14 At least three quarters of respondents were satisfied with the extent to which buses ran to timetable; the cleanliness of buses; bus service is stable and not regularly changing; the ease of finding out route and timetable information; feel safe/secure on bus during day; and the simplicity of deciding which ticket they need.

2.15 Respondents gave lower satisfaction scores for the extent to which buses were environmentally friendly (56%) and whether the fares were good value (55%).

2.16 Additionally there was a noticeable difference in those who felt safe on the bus during the day and in the evening. Ninety-three per cent of respondents agreed that they felt safe using the bus during the day compared to 69 per cent in the evening.

Concessionary Travel

2.17 The National Concessionary Travel Scheme for older and disabled people was rolled out across Scotland in April 2006. The scheme enables individuals aged 60+ or those with a disability (who meet certain criteria) to travel free on buses across Scotland. In some local authorities the card can be used on trains and ferries. There is also a scheme for young people, The Young Scot Card. Those aged 16-18, or full-time volunteers aged under 26 can use the card to get a third off adult single fares on bus services in Scotland, a third off rail travel and two free journeys to the mainland for islanders. 147,000 young people were eligible to access the travel concessions available through their Young Scot card in 2020. The young persons scheme is excluded from the analysis in paragraph 2.19 and 2.20 but is included in table 11.29. (Table 2.13)

2.18 Eighty nine per cent of young people (16-18) had a concessionary fare pass under the Scheme in 2020, and 92 per cent of those aged 60 or over had a pass. These proportions have changed little over the period since the introduction of the national scheme, though there has been a steady increase in pass holder numbers over the period. (Table 2.12 and 2.13)

2.19 The majority of pass holders (91%) in the older and disabled persons scheme hold a pass on the basis of age. Of those who have a pass for the disabled or visually impaired, 73% have a companion card which allows someone to travel with them on the bus. Card holder numbers by local authority are shown in Table 2.14. (Table 2.13)

2.20 Details of trips made on buses under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme are included in Table 2.2a. Further details of journeys made on all modes of transport under the National Schemes and current and previous local schemes are shown in table 11.29. Bus journeys account for almost all (95%) of journeys made under the concessionary travel scheme. See the notes in Chapter 11 for more detail around what is included in this table.

Other sources of data (not National Statistics)

2.21 Some industry data are available, though as they are not produced by Government they are not National Statistics and do not comply with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They are included here as an alternative information source which may be of interest to readers.

2.22 The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) publish a Cost Index on their website. This shows that wages, staffing and labour accounted for around 60% of operating costs, with fuel accounting for 16%. Total costs have been above inflation for the last few years.

2.23 The Office of the Traffic Commissioner are responsible for the licensing of the operators of buses and coaches and the registration of local bus services (routes). Statistics are published in the Traffic Commissioners' Annual Reports. There were 27 cases of action taken at public inquiry for non-compliance (under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981) in Scotland in 2017-18, sixteen more than in 2016-17.

Figure 2.1 Vehicle stock by type of vehicle

Figure 2.1 Vehicle stock by type of vehicle

Figure 2.2 Passenger journeys (boardings) and vehicle-kilometres

Figure 2.2 Passenger journeys (boardings) and vehicle-kilometres

Note: Figures prior to 2004/05 are not strictly comparable with previous years due to changes in the methodology.

Figure 2.3 Local bus fare indices

Figure 2.3 Local bus fare indices

Table 2.1a: Public Service Vehicle characteristics (Local Operators)¹
		2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
		2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
Number of buses used as Public Service Vehicles											thousands
Scotland		4.8	4.8	4.6	4.6	4.3	4.3	4.0	4.2	4.0	4.4	9	3
Great Britain		42.4	42.3	42.0	42.1	41.7	40.7	40.3	40.1	39.1	38.2	-2	-8
Average age of the bus fleet
Scotland		7.8	8.5	8.3	8.3	8.1	7.9	8.0	8.5	8.0	8.1	1	0
Great Britain		7.8	7.8	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.6	7.8	7.7	8.0	4	3
Percentage of buses with CCTV %
Scotland ³		54	58	65	67	72	78	82	90	89	91	2	27
Great Britain		70	72	77	80	84	87	90	91	92	93	1	11
Percentage of bus fleet with automatic vehicle location (AVL) device											%
Scotland	57	76	81	90	86	86	94	95	95	99	4	15
Great Britain		66	73	86	91	93	94	96	97	97	98	1	5
Percentage of buses with live ITSO smartcard readers											%
Scotland		86	89	89	89	92	83	90	88	93	93	0	1
Great Britain (outwith London)²		37	60	81	86	89	89	91	92	93	93	0	4
Percentage of buses with live EMV readers that can accept contactless payment cards ⁴											%
Scotland		…	…	…	…	…	…	4	42	61	77	25	..
Great Britain (outwith London)²		…	…	…	…	…	…	38	62	73	83	14	..

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

In previous years non-local operators have accounted for around 8% of the Public Service Vehicles in use. Figures presented here will be lower than those previously published by a corresponding margin.

² London buses (on local services) are equipped with non-ITSO (Oyster) smartcard readers.

³ Previous figures have been revised.

⁴ EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. Many credit and debit cards can now be used for contactless payments where card holders can pay for their bus fare by touching their card on a reader rather than typing in their pin number. Passengers may also use mobile phone apps such as Android Pay or Apple Pay. Excludes figures provided by a small number of operators whose vehicles were equipped but the readers were not live as at 31 March.

Table 2.1b: Number of disability accessible or low-floor buses used as Public Service Vehicles in Scotland (Local Operators)¹
	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
Buses with accessibility certificate²
Number (thousands)	2.8	3.0	3.3	3.5	3.7	3.9	3.9	4.1	4.0	4.4	10	17
Percentage of all buses	59	62	71	76	87	92	97	98	99	100
Buses with low floor access³
Number (thousands)	1.10	1.05	0.74	0.59	0.30	0.16	0.05	0.02	0.01	0.01	-23	-97
Percentage of all buses	23	22	16	13	7	4	1	0	0	0
Total accessible or low floor buses
Number (thousands)	3.9	4.0	4.0	4.1	4.0	4.1	3.9	4.1	4.0	4.4	10	9
Percentage of all buses	82	84	86	90	94	95	98	98	99	100

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

¹This table covers all operators who run local bus services, including those who also do non-local work (e.g. private hire, school contracts).
In previous years this table has also included operators who do solely non-local work. However, the Department for Transport no longer collects figures for these 'non-local' operators. In previous years non-local operators have accounted for around 8% of the Public Service Vehicles in use. Figures presented here will be lower than those previously published by a corresponding margin.

² Buses which have an Accessibility certificate issued under the Disability Discrimination Act PSV Accessibility Regulations 2000 (DDA PSVAR 2000 Certificate)

³ Buses which do not have a DDA PSVAR 2000 Certificate but which have low floor designs, suitable for wheelchair access

Table 2.2a: Passenger journeys on local bus services^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
													million
Scotland	484	458	430	436	420	421	414	410	395	390	378	366	-3	-12
Great Britain	5,250	5,188	5,164	5,191	5,099	5,201	5,142	5,023	4,935	4,838	4,787	4,524	-5	-12
Of which concessionary passengers
Scotland^3,4	155	153	147	149	146	149	146	143	142	136	142	138	-2	-5
Great Britain⁵	1,740	1,772	1,772	1,803	1,764	1,794	1,759	1,715	1,693	1,638	1,635	1,551	-5	-12
Percentage Concessionary passengers
Scotland	32%	33%	34%	34%	35%	35%	35%	35%	36%	35%	37%	38%
Great Britain	33%	34%	34%	35%	35%	34%	34%	34%	34%	34%	34%	34%
*Annual growth rates*
Scotland	-1%	-5%	-6%	1%	-4%	0%	-2%	-1%	-5%	-1%	-3%	-3%
Great Britain	2%	-1%	0%	1%	-2%	2%	-1%	-2%	-4%	-2%	-1%	-5%
Concessionary passengers
Scotland	1%	-1%	-4%	2%	-2%	2%	-2%	-2%	-3%	-4%	4%	-2%
Great Britain	6%	2%	0%	2%	-2%	2%	-2%	-2%	-4%	-3%	0%	-5%

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1 There is a break in the series in 2004/05 due to changes in the estimation methodology.

2 This table uses figures gathered through the Department for Transport's survey of PSV operators. Figures obtained from this source are revised as a matter of course and this table is likely to differ from previously published figures. Links to further information can be found on the Sources sheet.

3 Figures include a degree of estimation (e.g. allowances for claims not yet been processed) and may incur some small revisions to previously published data.

4 Administrative data collected by Transport Scotland in relation to the older and disabled persons scheme and the young persons scheme bus journeys. This is around 2-5% different from Scotland level estimates calculated from DfT survey data.

5 Estimated from DfT survey data; this will not be directly comparable with administrative data for Scotland.

Table 2.2b: Passenger journeys by region for local bus services^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
												million passenger journeys
North East, Tayside and Central³	66	64	61	63	61	62	63	60	58	55	53	48	-10	-24
Highlands, Islands and Shetland⁴	14	14	14	13	14	13	12	13	11	11	10	11	14	-8
South East⁵	170	162	162	166	162	164	164	162	158	157	154	154	0	-6
South West and Strathclyde⁶	234	219	193	194	184	182	175	175	168	167	161	153	-5	-13
Scotland	484	458	430	436	420	421	414	410	395	390	378	366	-3	-12

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1 Regional groupings have been dictated by commercial sensitivities around the disclosure of bus operators' financial information.

3 Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City

4 Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Argyll & Bute

5 Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Edinburgh City, West Lothian

6 Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire

Table 2.3a: Vehicle kilometres on local bus services by type of service^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
												million vehicle kilometres
Scotland³	386	377	346	338	327	332	336	341	337	334	332	335	1	0
Commercial	311	302	279	278	263	266	266	278	269	266	271	259	-4	-2
Subsidised	75	74	67	60	64	65	70	63	68	68	61	75	24	7
Subsidised % of total	19.3%	19.7%	19.3%	17.8%	19.7%	19.7%	21.0%	18.5%	20.3%	20.3%	18.3%	22.5%
*Annual growth rate*	-3%	-2%	-8%	-2%	-3%	1%	1%	2%	0%	-1%	-1%	1%
GB outwith London	2,176	2,141	2,109	2,072	2,043	2,035	2,011	1,977	1,938	1,871	1,840	1,773	-4	-12
Commercial	1,666	1,627	1,609	1,624	1,626	1,644	1,648	1,662	1,651	1,597	1,580	1,511	-4	-8
Subsidised	510	515	501	447	417	391	363	315	287	275	260	262	1	-28
Subsidised % of total	23.4%	24.0%	23.7%	21.6%	20.4%	19.2%	18.1%	16.0%	14.8%	14.7%	14.2%	14.8%
Great Britain	2,650	2,620	2,591	2,557	2,529	2,522	2,496	2,465	2,428	2,357	2,317	2,240	-3	-10

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1 There is a break in the series in 2004/05 due to changes in the estimation methodology.

3 Commercial and subsidised totals may not match Scotland totals due to rounding.

Table 2.3b: Vehicle kilometres on local bus services per head of population^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
Population												thousands
Scotland	5,169	5,194	5,222	5,255	5,314	5,328	5,348	5,373	5,405	5,425	5,438	5,463	0	2
Great Britain	59,263	60,003	60,462	61,426	61,881	62,276	62,756	65,110	63,786	64,169	64,554	64,903	1	3
Vehicle kilometres per head of population												vehicle km per head
Scotland	74.6	72.5	66.3	64.3	61.5	62.3	62.9	63.5	62.4	61.6	61.0	61.3	0	-3
Great Britain	44.7	43.7	42.8	41.6	40.9	40.5	39.8	37.9	38.1	36.7	35.9	34.5	-4	-13
Ratio Scotland/GB	1.67	1.66	1.55	1.55	1.51	1.54	1.58	1.68	1.64	1.68	1.70	1.77	4	12

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

¹ There is a break in the series in 2004/05 due to changes in the estimation methodology.

² This table uses figures gathered through the Department for Transport's survey of PSV operators. Figures obtained from this source are revised as a matter of course and this table is likely to differ from previously published figures. Links to further information can be found on the Sources sheet.

Table 2.3c: Vehicle kilometres by region for local bus services^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
												million vehicle kilometres
North East, Tayside & Central³	55	58	55	55	54	56	57	56	54	56	52	49	-6	-13
Highlands, Islands & Shetland⁴	27	38	37	33	33	32	40	39	35	32	34	35	2	-13
South East⁵	118	106	104	102	101	103	100	99	98	100	102	110	8	10
South West & Strathclyde⁶	186	175	151	148	139	141	140	148	150	146	144	141	-2	1
Scotland	386	377	346	338	327	332	336	341	337	334	332	335	1	0

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1 Regional groupings have been dictated by commercial sensitivities around the disclosure of bus operators' financial information.

3 Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City

4 Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Argyll & Bute

5 Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Edinburgh City, West Lothian

Table 2.4: Staff employed^{1, 2}
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
												thousand
Platform staff ³	11.4	11.1	10.7	10.6	10.1	10.4	10.5	10.4	10.0	10.3	10.5	11.2	6	7
Maintenance and other staff ³
Maintenance	2.2	2.4	2.2	2.3	2.2	2.2	2.1	2.2	1.8	1.9	1.8	2.0	9	-6
Other	1.6	1.1	1.1	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	-5	-13
Total	3.8	3.5	3.3	3.7	3.6	3.6	3.6	3.6	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.2	3	-9
All staff	15.2	14.6	14.0	14.3	13.8	14.0	14.0	13.9	13.2	13.5	13.7	14.4	5	3

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1. Figures relate to the financial year end.

2. Figures for local operators only (including those doing some non-local work)

3. Staff are classified according to their main occupation as some may have more than one function.

4. Break in the series due to changes in the estimation methodology from 2004/05

5. Previously published figures have been revised.

Table 2.5: Local bus fare indices¹
2005 = 100
	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	*% change over*
	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	*1 year*	*5 years*
At current prices
Scotland	126.5	129.5	132.2	139.1	145.1	149.8	153.2	157.6	163.6	171.9	175.5	181.7	4	19
Great Britain	123.1	129.0	135.2	143.4	150.1	154.7	159.7	162.6	165.6	171.0	176.3	180.9	3	13
At constant prices ²
Scotland	114.4	113.3	111.1	113.0	114.7	116.5	119.2	122.0	123.8	126.9	127.2	129.7	2	9
Great Britain	111.3	112.8	113.6	116.5	118.6	120.3	124.2	125.9	125.3	126.3	127.8	129.1	1	4

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1. Fares at March of each year

2. Adjusted for general inflation, using the Retail Prices Index.

Table 2.6: Operating costs per vehicle kilometre for local bus services^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
At 2019-20 Prices (including depreciation)												Pence per Vehicle Kilometre
Scotland	176	180	186	206	206	202	198	190	195	191	207	203	-2	3
GB outwith London³	197	202	202	210	210	212	212	214	214	215	220	223	1	5

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

¹ Adjusted for general inflation using the GDP market price deflator.

³ Buses in London operate under a different regulatory model to the rest of the country, and comparisons on an operating costs basis between London and the rest of the country would have little meaning. London figures are therefore excluded from this table.

Table 2.7: Operating costs per passenger journey for local bus services^1,2
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
At 2019-20 Prices (including depreciation)												Pence per passenger journey
Scotland	141	148	150	160	159	159	160	158	166	163	182	184	1	15
GB outwith London³	142	147	147	152	154	154	154	156	154	154	157	163	4	6

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

¹ Adjusted for general inflation using the GDP market price deflator.

Table 2.8: Passenger revenue¹ on local bus services²
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13		2013-14		2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20		*% change over*
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13		2013-14		2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20		*1 year*	*5 years*
Current prices													£ Million
Passenger revenue
Scotland ^{3, 6}	330	328	336	350		361		356	378	396	386	380	341		-10	-4
Great Britain ⁶	3,156	3,299	3,439	3,575		3,701		3,744	3,747	3,688	3,691	3,735	3,555		-5	-5
Government support⁴
Scotland	312	295	299	312	⁵	300	⁵	299	302	300	302	314	269	¹⁵	-14	-10
Total passenger revenue⁴
Scotland	642	622	640	662	⁵	661	⁵	655	680	696	688	694	610	¹⁵	-12	-7
Passenger revenue
Scotland	387	377	381	389		393		383	403	413	395	380	333		-12	-13
Great Britain	3,696	3,795	3,896	3,969		4,036		4,028	3,998	3,840	3,777	3,735	3,470		-7	-14
Government support⁴
Scotland	365	339	339	346	⁵	327	⁵	322	322	312	309	314	262	¹⁵	-16	-19
Total passenger revenue⁴
Scotland	752	716	720	735	⁵	720	⁵	704	726	725	704	694	595	¹⁵	-14	-15

Source: DfT Bus Statistics

1. Passenger fare receipts only include fare receipts retained by bus operators. On some tendered or supported services, fare receipts are passed to the local authority.

2. This table uses figures gathered through the Department for Transport's survey of PSV operators. Figures obtained from this source are revised as a matter of course and this table is likely to differ from previously published figures. Links to further information can be found on the Sources sheet.

3. Until 2003-04, receipts for local bus services include concessionary fare reimbursement from local authorities. From 2004-05 this only includes fare reciepts retained by bus operators. On some tendered or supported services, fare receipts are passed to the local authority.

4. Government support includes Bus Service Operators Grant, Concessionary Bus Travel and Local Authority gross costs incurred in support of bus services. The National Concessionary Travel scheme was introduced in April 2006. Figures for Government support prior to this include all modes of concessionary travel so are not comparable with later years.

5. The figures for 2012/13 Include an additional transitional assistance of £10 million for concessionary fares and £3 million for bus service operators grant towards the costs of bus operators by way of grant made under section 38 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. Concessionary fares for 2013/14 also included transitional assistance of £1.7 million.

6. Figures for previous years have been revised.

Table 2.9: Government support on local bus services by type of support¹
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13		2013-14		2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*% change over*
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13		2013-14		2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	*1 year*	*5 years*
Current Prices													£ Million
Local Authority bus support ²
Scotland ¹¹	62	58	59	60		60		58	60	53	56	57	-	-100	-100
Great Britain ⁸	1,318	1,145	1,084	1,038		1,094		1,072	1,071	1,120	1,133	1,058	832	-21	-22
GB outwith London ⁸	626	581	565	538		538		485	449	461	450	476	391	-18	-19
Concessionary fares
Scotland (bus)³	187	175	181	199	¹⁰	190	¹⁰	190	189	194	195	202	216	7	13
Scotland (all modes)	202	183	188	204	¹⁰	195	¹⁰	198	196	196	197	205	218	6	10
Great Britain (bus)^5,6,8	1,224	1,246	1,248	1,282		1,304		1,313	1,309	1,297	1,259	1,253	1,202	-4	-9
GB outwith London (bus)^5,6,8	1,041	1,055	1,038	1,062		1,070		1,074	1,071	1,068	1,040	1,035	984	-5	-8
Great Britain (all modes)^5,6,8	1,239	1,254	1,254	1,284		1,306		1,321	1,316	1,299	1,261	1,256	1,204	-4	-9
GB outwith London (all modes)^5,6,8	1,056	1,063	1,045	1,064		1,072		1,082	1,078	1,070	1,042	1,038	987	-5	-9
Bus Service Operators Grant⁷
Scotland	64	63	60	53	¹⁰	50		51	53	53	51	55	53	-4	4
Great Britain ¹²	515	505	512	415		348		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
GB outwith London ¹²	403	397	401	327		306		302	306	304	300	303	299	-1	-1
All government support ⁹
Scotland (bus)	312	295	299	312	¹⁰	300	¹⁰	299	302	300	302	314	269	-14	-10
Scotland (all modes)	327	303	306	317	¹⁰	305	¹⁰	307	309	302	304	317	271	-14	-12
Great Britain (bus)^6,8,12	3,056	2,896	2,843	2,739		2,735		2,687	2,686	2,721	2,692	2,614	2,333	-11	-13
GB outwith London (bus)^6,8,12	2,069	2,033	2,004	1,929		1,907		1,919	1,887	1,885	1,846	1,870	1,674	-10	-13
Great Britain (all modes)^6,8,12	3,071	2,904	2,851	2,730		2,749		2,695	2,693	2,723	2,694	2,617	2,335	-11	-13
GB outwith London (all modes)^6,8,12	2,084	2,041	2,011	1,920		1,921		1,869	1,833	1,835	1,793	1,816	1,676	-8	-10
2019-20 Prices (Adjusted for general inflation using the GDP market price deflator)
Local Authority bus support²
Scotland	73	67	67	66		66		63	65	55	57	57	-	-100	-100
Great Britain ⁸	1,544	1,317	1,228	1,153		1,193		1,153	1,142	1,166	1,159	1,058	812	-23	-30
GB outwith London ⁸	733	668	640	597		587		522	480	480	460	476	381	-20	-27
Concessionary fares
Scotland (bus)³	219	201	205	221	¹⁰	207	¹⁰	204	202	202	200	202	210	4	3
Scotland (all modes)⁴	237	211	213	227	¹⁰	213	¹⁰	213	209	204	202	205	213	4	0
Great Britain (bus)^5,6,8	1,434	1,433	1,414	1,423		1,422		1,413	1,397	1,350	1,288	1,253	1,173	-6	-17
GB outwith London (bus)^5,6,8	1,219	1,213	1,176	1,179		1,166		1,155	1,142	1,112	1,064	1,035	961	-7	-17
Great Britain (all modes)^5,6,8	1,451	1,442	1,421	1,425		1,424		1,421	1,404	1,352	1,290	1,256	1,175	-6	-17
GB outwith London (all modes)^5,6,8	1,236	1,223	1,184	1,181		1,169		1,164	1,150	1,114	1,067	1,038	963	-7	-17
Bus Service Operators Grant⁷
Scotland	75	72	68	59	¹⁰	55		55	56	55	52	55	52	-6	-6
Great Britain ¹²	603	581	580	460		380		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
GB outwith London ¹²	472	457	454	364		334		325	327	317	308	303	292	-4	-10
All government support ⁹
Scotland (bus)	365	339	339	346	¹⁰	327	¹⁰	322	322	312	309	314	262	-16	-19
Scotland (all modes)	383	348	347	352	¹⁰	333	¹⁰	330	330	314	311	317	265	-16	-20
Great Britain (bus)^6,8,12	3,580	3,330	3,221	3,040		2,983		2,891	2,866	2,833	2,755	2,614	2,277	-13	..
GB outwith London (bus)^6,8,12	2,423	2,338	2,271	2,141		2,079		2,065	2,013	1,963	1,889	1,870	1,634	-13	-21
Great Britain (all modes)^6,8,12	3,597	3,340	3,230	3,031		2,998		2,899	2,873	2,835	2,757	2,617	2,280	-13	..
GB outwith London (all modes)^6,8,12	2,441	2,347	2,279	2,132		2,095		2,011	1,956	1,910	1,834	1,816	1,637	-10	-19

¹ This table includes some figures gathered through the Department for Transport's survey of PSV operators. Figures obtained from this source are revised as a matter of course and this table is likely to differ from previously published figures. Links to further information can be found on the Sources sheet.

² Total of all local authorities' gross costs incurred in support of bus services, either directly or by subsidies to operators or individuals.

³ Figures refer to Transport Scotland spending on elderly, disabled and youth schemes. Prior to the centralisation of funding in 2006/07 it is not possible split out spending on bus schemes alone. Small revisions have been made to the years 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15

⁴ Includes Local Authority spending.

⁵ GB figures cover the total of all local authorities' net costs of concessionary bus travel and include funding for taxi tokens as well as administation costs.

⁶ There is no information on concessionary spending for 'other' modes in England and Wales. Therefore, the only difference between the GB (bus) and GB (all modes) figures will be a result of the differences in the Scotland concessionary fares figures only.

⁷ Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) is a subsidy provided by Central Government to operators of local bus services.

⁸ Statistics for Concessionary Fare spend and Local Authority support for bus for England are published by Department for Communities and Local Government. Figures for Great Britain are calculated by combining the England, Wales and Scotland figures.

⁹ Totals exclude 'non-revenue' funding, specifically the Scottish Green Bus Fund and the Bus Investment Fund.

¹⁰ The figures for 2012/13 Include an additional transitional assistance of £10 million for concessionary fares and £3 million for bus service operators grant towards the costs of bus operators by way of grant made under section 38 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. Concessionary fares for 2013/14 also included transitional assistance of £1.7 million.

¹¹ Local Authority Transport Undertakings - Buses was added to the LFR 03 return in 2008/09. Data is not available for previous years and the total expenditure for 2007/08 is not comparable with later years.

To ensure comparability, historic figures have been revised to ensure they are presented on a consistent basis.

¹² BSOG in London now forms part of their public support grant (from October 2013).

¹³ The figure for 2018/19 Includes £3.25m additional assistance towards overall industry operating costs, via grant made under section 38 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

¹⁴ The BSOG value is still an estimate at this stage as we have still to complete an exercise (before this financial year end) to distribute additional 2019/20 covid-19 grant funding to bus operators.

¹⁵ The all governments support figure for 2019 does not include the local authority bus support as it was not available at time of publication.

¹⁶ The 2019/20 value for concessionary fares for all modes includes covid-19 support grant in respect of Free Bus Scheme and BSOG

¹⁷ The 2019/20 value for local authority support was not available at the time of publication.

Table 2.10: Bus use the previous day (adults) by characteristic¹
	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
by gender:											column percentages
Male	44	40	41	41	43	47	45	40	41	42	47
Female	56	60	59	59	57	53	55	60	59	58	53
by age:
16-19	11	15	13	14	14	12	12	12	13	11	9
20-29	23	17	20	19	20	21	21	18	21	17	19
30-39	15	12	14	13	12	15	13	12	11	15	19
40-49	12	14	12	12	12	13	13	11	12	12	10
50-59	12	11	12	12	13	11	13	12	13	12	13
60-69	12	14	12	15	13	13	13	18	14	16	12
70-79	10	13	11	10	11	10	11	12	13	12	13
80 and over	5	3	5	3	5	4	4	5	4	6	5
by current status:
Self employed	1	1	2	2	2	0	1	2	1	2	2
Employed full time	33	27	34	28	29	31	32	30	30	33	37
Employed part time	10	10	11	14	13	12	12	11	10	11	12
Looking after the home or family	5	4	3	4	4	4	5	5	5	3	4
Permanently retired from work	24	27	24	25	25	23	23	26	25	27	24
Unemployed and seeking work	6	7	4	5	7	7	6	4	7	5	4
At school	3	6	4	7	4	5	3	7	6	3	3
In further/higher education	10	13	11	8	11	11	13	8	12	10	6
Government work or training scheme	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1
Permanently sick or disabled	5	4	6	5	4	4	4	4	4	5	5
Unable to work because of short-term illness or injury	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1
by journey purpose ²:
Commuting	29	27	28	29	28	25	24	29	29	28	32
Education	8	10	13	8	9	11	10	10	11	8	8
Shopping	25	28	21	25	24	28	29	26	29	30	23
Visit hospital or other health	4	4	3	4	2	3	2	4	2	3	4
On other personal business	8	4	7	4	6	4	4	3	2	6	5
Visiting friends or relatives	9	8	11	10	11	7	9	9	9	6	8
Sport/entertainment	7	8	8	4	4	4	5	4	4	4	3
Go home	4	2	4	9	9	8	9	8	7	7	8
Other purpose	7	9	7	7	7	9	7	6	6	7	8
by annual net household income (adjusted for RPI inflation):
up to £10,000 p.a.	10	11	14	8	9	13	9	9	11	12	10
£10,000 - £15,000	17	17	18	20	17	17	17	18	20	18	21
£15,000 - £20,000	18	17	17	15	19	17	16	19	17	21	14
£20,000 - £25,000	11	15	14	15	14	13	16	14	13	14	11
£25,000 - £30,000	8	10	12	11	10	10	10	9	9	6	10
£30,000 - £40,000	15	11	10	15	16	13	14	14	13	13	16
£40,000 - £50,000	13	7	8	8	7	9	8	10	6	8	9
over £50,000 p.a.	8	12	7	8	9	9	10	8	10	9	9
by urban/rural classification:
Large urban areas	61	57	60	59	60	56	54	53	54	56	53
Other urban	23	26	23	24	25	24	31	31	29	27	30
Small accessible towns	6	6	6	5	7	8	5	6	8	5	5
Small remote towns	1	1	2	3	1	2	1	1	1	2	2
Accessible rural	7	8	7	6	5	7	7	7	5	9	8
Remote rural	2	2	3	3	2	3	2	2	3	2	3
by frequency of driving:											3
Every day	7	6	7	8	7	7	6	7	6	6	9
At least three times a week	5	5	6	7	5	6	7	7	6	7	6
Once or twice a week	5	5	7	5	5	6	4	6	4	4	6
Less often	5	4	5	2	4	6	4	5	4	4	5
Never, but holds full driving licence	10	7	9	10	9	9	7	8	9	10	11
Does not hold a full driving licence	69	73	67	67	70	66	71	67	72	68	62
by whether or not respondent has concessionary travel pass ³:
Yes	33	33	33	33	31	32	32	38	34	...	34
No	67	67	67	67	69	68	68	62	66	...	66
	*1,640*	*1,440*	*1,580*	*1,540*	*1,720*	*1,650*	*1,730*	*1,470*	*1,470*	*1,520*	*1,370*

Source: Scottish Household Survey

* This table has been amended from previous publications to ensure the method of calculation is consistent with other transport tables using Scottish Household Survey data. Percentages are slightly modified.

1. The concessionary travel pass question was not asked in 2018, but wil be asked again in 2019 and alternate years.

2. For concessionary travel pass, sample size in 2003 was 1,983 as this data was not collected in quarter 1; sample size in 2006 was 2,120 as a new concessionary scheme was introduced in April 2006.

3. Prior to 2007 only journeys over 1/4 mile were recorded. Since 2007 all journeys are recorded. This creates a discontinuity in the time series between 2006 and 2007.

4. From 2007 onwards, two new categories, 'Go home' and 'Just go for a walk', were added. 'Go home' has been separated out in this table but 'Just go for a walk' has not as these are largely going to be walking (only) journeys.

Table 2.11: Users views on local bus services^1,3,5
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2014	2016	2019
Percentage agreeing with each statement
Buses run to timetable ²	71	73	73	73	73	74	78	75	75
Buses are frequent	77	79	80	80	79
Service runs when I need it	71	74	75	74	74
Journey times are reasonable					85
Bus service is stable and not regulary changing	80	80	79	80		78	83	80	77
Buses are clean	72	75	75	75		80	78	79	81
Buses are comfortable	73	74	77	78
Buses are environmentally friendly						56	66	62	56
I feel personally safe and secure⁴	80	81
Feel safe/secure on bus during day⁴			91	91	94	93	94	93	93
Feel safe/secure on bus during the evening⁴			58	59	63	62	69	70	69
Simple deciding what ticket I need	87	87	86	88	89	89	89	88	86
Finding out about routes and times is easy	77	79	81	81	82	84	86	83	84
Easy to change from buses to other forms of transport	69	71	71	73	76	75	75	76	70
Bus fares are good value	63	58	57	59	59	55	60	61	55
Sample Size	2,697	2,846	2,902	2,833	2,984	4,068	4,070	3,910	3,770

Source: Scottish Household Survey

¹ SHS data. Question asked of adults (16+), who have used the bus in the previous month.

² Prior to 2012, question asked 'buses are on time'.

³ Changes to the questionnaire have been made between years so some response options are removed and new ones added.

⁴ The question about feeling safe and secure on the bus was split in 2009 to ask about during the day and in the evening.

⁵ This question will be asked in alternate years from 2019.

Table 2.12: Possession of concessionary fare pass¹ for all adults aged 16+ ²
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2019
											cell percentages
All adults aged 16+	25	26	27	27	27	26	27	28	29	28	29
All adults aged 60+	84	87	87	87	88	86	87	87	87	87	89
Age band
16 - 39	1	2	1	2	2	1	2	2	3	1	2
40 - 49	2	4	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	3	3
50 - 59	4	6	6	5	5	4	5	6	5	5	5
60 - 64	75	78	79	80	81	75	75	74	75	74	80
65 - 69	88	89	90	88	91	90	91	90	90	89	91
70 - 74	89	92	91	93	92	92	91	93	93	91	93
75 - 79	89	92	93	91	94	90	93	92	93	93	92
80 +	85	87	87	90	88	89	91	90	90	90	91

Source: Scottish Household Survey

1. The question started thus: "do you have a concessionary travel pass which allows you to travel free of charge …"

The remainer of the question depended upon the national minimum concessionary fare arrangements that applied at the time.

- From April 2003 to March 2006, the question concluded: "…. on off-peak local bus services"

- From April 2006, the question concluded: "… on scheduled bus services"

** Figures for 2006 relate to the period from April to December, as new concessionary fare arrangements were introduced in April 2006.

2. This question is being asked in alternate years.

Table 2.13: Concessionary fare passes issued to older and disabled people, 2013-2020 ^1,2,3
	2013 ⁴	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Card type
60+	1,141,214	1,142,923	1,170,709	1,146,751	1,156,063	1,203,751	1,256,531	1,281,703
Disabled	43,979	44,381	43,590	41,348	39,384	37,228	37,268	30,611
Disabled + companion	93,619	96,253	106,078	111,486	118,217	123,786	129,308	115,722
Visually impaired	4,188	4,092	4,041	3,921	3,826	3,787	3,852	3,683
Visually impaired + companion	10,223	10,102	10,099	9,745	9,592	9,546	9,658	9,085
All cards	1,293,223	1,297,751	1,334,517	1,313,251	1,327,082	1,378,098	1,436,617	1,440,804
Young persons scheme (16-18)	131,210	152,626	152,473	151,767	149,790	147,410	147,326	147,060

Source: Transport Scotland

¹ As at October in each year, with the exception of 2009 where the figure is as at February.

² Figures for 2007 and 2008 should be interpreted with caution, due to possible double-counting in one local authority

³ This table displays changes over time at a national level. For the most up to date figures at national and local authority level consult table 23.

⁴ The new supplier of the National Entitlement Card programme is able to provide a more detailed split of card holder eligibility than Transport Scotland received previously. As well as being able to better identify eligibility, the new reports also identify duplicate cards ie where a customer has a card due to expire at the end of the month and a replacement has been issued, so these can now be excluded from the totals. These changes mean that data for 2013 onwards is not directly comparable with earlier years. Figures for Young Scot disability cards were mistakenly excluded from the figures for 2013. The figures have now been corrected.

Table 2.14: Concessionary fare passes issued to older and disabled people. As at November 2020 ¹
	Disabled	Disabled + companion	Visually impaired	Visually impaired + companion	60+	*All card holders*
All Scotland
Aberdeen City	1,574	3,603	241	254	46,157	51,829
Aberdeenshire	1,194	2,720	237	329	59,999	64,479
Angus	737	1,729	85	138	31,889	34,578
Argyll and Bute	434	1,483	56	168	28,401	30,542
Clackmannanshire	273	880	21	68	11,615	12,857
Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar	74	231	7	17	8,154	8,483
Dumfries and Galloway	657	2,497	80	197	41,857	45,288
Dundee City	991	4,665	134	308	32,771	38,869
East Ayrshire	747	3,193	76	244	28,946	33,206
East Dunbartonshire	405	1,358	65	154	30,874	32,856
East Lothian	626	1,632	57	128	27,278	29,721
East Renfrewshire	350	1,210	61	124	23,420	25,165
Edinburgh	3,855	9,765	236	602	114,616	129,074
Falkirk	838	2,834	101	216	34,864	38,853
Fife	1,841	10,696	363	696	92,435	106,031
Glasgow	5,126	21,489	347	1,252	112,267	140,481
Highland	1,060	3,344	55	385	61,307	66,151
Inverclyde	406	2,779	65	235	20,571	24,056
Midlothian	502	2,018	33	128	22,372	25,053
Moray	450	1,180	81	135	23,653	25,499
North Ayrshire	711	3,475	121	391	38,579	43,277
North Lanarkshire	1,696	7,723	167	608	70,727	80,921
Orkney Islands	82	514	3	30	6,174	6,803
Perth and Kinross	547	2,285	193	301	39,319	42,645
Renfrewshire	1,041	4,081	136	381	43,063	48,702
Scottish Borders	629	1,406	101	159	31,583	33,878
Shetland Islands	135	481	6	19	5,881	6,522
South Ayrshire	564	2,486	94	246	34,745	38,135
South Lanarkshire	1,385	6,645	278	649	77,741	86,698
Stirling	396	1,252	70	104	20,599	22,421
West Dunbartonshire	626	2,532	56	171	22,167	25,552
West Lothian	659	3,536	57	248	37,679	42,179

Source: Transport Scotland

¹ This table provides the most up to date figure for the number of concessionary passes on issue at local authority and national level. Table 2.13 displays changes over time at a national level.

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