Progress against aims and expected outcomes
The findings from across the first year of operation indicate that the scheme was making good progress in delivering against most of the aims and expected outcomes.
Embedding Positive Sustainable Travel Behaviours
The evidence showed that increasing numbers of young people were travelling by bus across a wide range of journey purposes because of the scheme. There was some limited early evidence of modal shift away from car use to buses, with young people using the bus both to make journeys they would have made anyway as well as a large volume of new/additional journeys. Females also generated slightly more trips than males, with some also highlighting a preference for bus use at night compared to walking alone or using other modes of transport in the dark, suggesting women view bus use as a viable transport option. Whether this behaviour will be sustained beyond eligibility within the scheme, however, remains to be seen and is an issue which will need to be monitored over the longer term.
Opening Up Opportunities
There was also clear evidence that the scheme had opened up new and additional opportunities and had supported ongoing engagement or more frequent access to existing opportunities and activities. This was particularly strong for social and leisure activities, however, there was also evidence that the scheme had supported access to education (both school and further and higher education), work opportunities, volunteering, and access to support services. The scheme was felt to have provided equal travel access to opportunities by removing the transport cost barrier.
Reducing Household Outgoings to Aid Children
While national datasets were not available to assess the impact of the scheme on poverty levels across Scotland, comparison of the baseline and follow-up surveys provided significant evidence that the scheme had positively impacted travel costs. Cost savings and removing the cost barrier was also one of the main benefits identified as a result of the scheme noted across all respondent types. This was also said to reduce the worry and anxiety related to travel and was felt to be particularly supportive for certain vulnerable household types, including those experiencing poverty, and during the current cost of living crisis.
Expected Outcomes
Evidence showed not only short and medium term outcomes being achieved, but also that some of the long term outcomes were already being progressed.
| Expected outcomes | Progress |
|---|---|
| 1 Increased numbers of young people registering for a card/aware of the scheme | Good progress to date |
| 2 Fewer young people learning to drive | Mixed results - longer timescale required |
| 3 Increased awareness of bus as a viable travel option | Good progress to date |
| 4 Increased awareness of bus as a viable travel option amongst young women | Good progress to date |
| 5 Reduction in travel costs for young people and their families | Good progress to date |
| Expected outcomes | Progress |
|---|---|
| 6 Increased numbers of young people using the scheme for journeys otherwise paid for | Good progress to date |
| 7 Journeys which would have been made by car (driving/lift from parents etc.) are made by bus | Good progress to date |
| 8 Young people have increased access to services | Good progress to date |
| Expected outcomes | Progress |
|---|---|
| 9 Reduction in poverty rates amongst young people | Longer timescale required to understand if any impact |
| 10 Improved access to education and employment opportunities | Good progress to date |
| 11 Improved access to social and leisure opportunities/activities | Good progress to date |
| 12 Reduction in private car kilometres | Impact unclear - longer timescale required to understand if any impact |
The table shows that good progress is being made to date against all of the expected outcomes, apart from outcomes 2 (Fewer young people learning to drive), 9 (Reduction in poverty rates amongst young people) and 12 (Reduction in private car kilometres), where a longer timescale is required to understand if there is any impact.