3. Bus and coach service statistics
3.1 Distance travelled( Tables 1.1 & 1.2; Charts A & B)
Scottish bus and coach services travelled 491 million vehicle kilometres in 2005-06, 3% less than in the previous year. There was a fall of 3% since 1995-96, the same as the fall for GB as a whole.
The distance travelled by local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 was 357 million vehicle kilometres, the same as in the previous year and 1% more than in 1995-96. There was a 2% fall in the distance travelled over the past ten years by local bus services in GB. The survey's estimate of the distance travelled by other (non-local) Scottish bus services can fluctuate markedly from year to year. In 2005-06, it was 134 million vehicle kilometres.
Chart B shows that the distance travelled by local bus services per head of population has been consistently higher in Scotland than GB. In 2005-06 it was 70 vehicle kilometres per capita in Scotland compared with 44 in GB, and so was 59% higher in Scotland.
The distance travelled by commercial local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 fell by 3% on the previous year to 293 million vehicle kilometres, and was 1% lower than in 1995-96.
The distance travelled by subsidised local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 was the same as the previous year, and was 4% higher than in 1995-96. The rise in GB outwith London since 1995-96 was 20%. Subsidised services' share of the total distance travelled by all local bus services in 2005-06 was about 16% in Scotland, compared with about 21% for GB outwith London.
3.2 Passenger journeys (boardings) - local bus services( Tables 2.1 & 2.2; Charts C & D)
In Scotland, there were 477 million passenger journeys (boardings) on local bus services in 2005-06. This was 0.4% less than in the previous year; there was a slight rise (0.02%) for GB as a whole. The Scottish total for 2005-06 was 6% less than in 1995-96, having fallen in every year since then to a "low point" of 424 million passenger journeys in 1998-99. This was followed by increases in each subsequent year, except the latest. The past ten years have seen an increase of 5% in GB as a whole, and a 12% fall for GB outwith London.
The number of passenger journeys (boardings) on local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 represented 94 journeys per head of population, compared with 81 per head of population for GB, and so was 16% higher in Scotland. However, the difference had been reducing: in 1995-96 the Scottish figure was 24% higher than the figure for GB. Chart D shows the Scottish figure had been falling steadily towards the level for GB as a whole until 1998-99; since then, the Scottish figure has risen slightly and the Scotland: GB ratio appears to have stabilised around 1.16.
On the 30 September 2002 a national minimum standard of free off-peak local bus travel for elderly and disabled people in Scotland was introduced. The arrangements were extended on 1st April 2003 to men aged 60-64 (who then became eligible to receive the same travel benefits as women aged 60+ and men aged 65+). For the purpose of these arrangements, "off-peak" means at the weekend or after 9.30 am on a weekday. The 2005-06 financial year's figures represent the third (and final) year of this scheme. In April 2006, new arrangements were introduced, giving elderly and disabled people free Scotland-wide bus travel on scheduled services, with no geographical or peak time restriction.
Chart G: Vehicle Stock (Scotland)
Chart H: Staff Employed (Scotland)
3.3 Fares( Tables 3.1 & 3.2; Chart E)
In real terms, bus passenger fares on local services in Scotland rose by 0.4% between 2004-05 and 2005-06, compared with a 5% increase for GB as a whole. The increase in real terms over the past ten years was 11% in Scotland, and 20% in GB.
While fares for local bus services in GB have risen by 20% in real terms since 1995-96, rail fares have increased by 9%, and motoring costs in GB have, in real terms, fallen by 6% over the same period. (A corresponding range of price indices for Scotland is not available).
3.4 Passenger receipts( Tables 4.1 & 4.2; Chart F)
Passenger receipts on local bus services in Scotland were £385 million in 2005-06, a decrease of 1% in real terms on the previous year but 2% higher than the corresponding figure for 1995-96. Local bus service passenger receipts have in the last ten years ranged from £354 million to £389 million at 2005-06 prices. There was an 18% rise in real terms for GB outwith London, while in GB as a whole the rise was 23%.
3.5 Local Bus Services - Government Support( Tables 5.2 & 5.3; Chart F)
Public transport support for local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 was £45 million, in real terms a rise of 18% on the previous year, and an increase of 82% over ten years previously. In comparison, over the same 10 year period, there has been a rise in support of 310% in real terms for GB, with a 77% increase for GB outwith London.
Concessionary fare reimbursement on local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 was £90 million, in real terms a rise of 4% from the previous year, and an increase of 71% from 1995-96. In GB there was a rise of 11% in real terms over the past ten years.
3.6 Local Bus Services - Operating Costs( Tables 6.1 & 6.2)
The estimated average operating cost (including depreciation) of local bus services in Scotland, was 90 pence per vehicle-kilometre in 2005-06, in real terms 3% more than in the previous year, but 12% lower than ten years earlier. The corresponding estimate for GB was 129 pence per vehicle kilometre, and the rise in real terms over the past ten years was 12%.
The estimated average operating cost (including depreciation) per passenger journey for local bus services in Scotland in 2005-06 was 68 pence, in real terms 3% less than the previous year and 8% less than ten years ago. The operating cost per passenger journey for GB was 70 pence, and has risen by 3% over the past ten years.
3.7 Number of buses and coaches( Tables 7.1 & 7.2; Chart G)
There was a 3% rise in the overall total number of buses and coaches in Scotland in 2005-06 from the previous year, and it was 5% higher than ten years earlier. Since 1995-96 there has been a 20% increase in the number of single deckers (including coaches), from 6,600 to 7,900. The number of double deckers fell by 36% from 2,500 in 1995-96 to 1,600 in 2005-06. In GB, there was a 7% increase in the total number of buses and coaches over the past ten years. The number of single deckers rose by 16%, and double deckers fell by 21%.
Chart I: Estimated distance travelled by local bus services for former regions
Chart J: Estimated distance travelled by local bus services for former regions
In Scotland, 22% of buses have CCTV, compared with 37% of buses for GB as a whole. The average age of the bus fleet in 2005-06 was 9.3 years for Scotland, compared with 8.4 years for GB. The percentage of buses with electronic devices for measuring punctuality was about the same in Scotland as it was for GB outwith London (54% and 52% respectively).
Information about the accessibility of buses and coaches has only been collected with effect from the return for the 1997-98 financial year - initially, the numbers which had low floors, powered lifts or ramps, or kneeling mechanisms. However, with effect from 2001-02 the DfT survey was changed to count those which had a certificate under PSV Accessibility Regulations 2000, and those which did not have the certificate but were of low floor designs suitable for wheelchair access. As a result, figures within Table 7.2 for 2000-01 onwards are on a different basis to previous years. In Scotland in 2005-06, over a third (38%) of full size buses met the above criteria. Some of the apparent year-to-year changes may be misleading, possibly being due to the effects of sampling variability - see the notes in section 7.
3.8 Staff Employed( Table 8.1; Chart H)
There were 18,800 staff employed by bus and coach operators in Scotland in 2005-06, 900 (5%) less than the previous year, but 9% more than 1995-96. There was a 14% increase in the number of staff employed in GB over the ten years. In Scotland there was an increase in the number of "platform staff" (including drivers, conductors and other on-vehicle staff) of 800 (6%) compared with the previous year; in GB "platform staff" stayed about the same.
3.9 Local bus services: Estimated vehicle kilometres and passenger journeys (boardings) for areas within Scotland( Tables 9.1 to 9.4; Charts I to L)
Estimates for areas within Scotland can be produced but it should be noted that the statistical returns were not designed to produce figures for parts of Scotland, and therefore some of the estimates may be subject to considerable uncertainty. The reasons for this are explained in section 7.6. The estimates for different parts of Scotland that are given should therefore be seen as a general guide to the levels and trends, with the occasional "hiccup" in the series being a reminder that the estimates may be affected by the kinds of factors described in section 7.6 and so are not necessarily reliable. This point is particularly relevant in the case of the estimates for the areas with the smallest populations where (for example) apparently large year-to-year percentage fluctuations could be caused by the "luck of the draw" including in the sample several operators in one year and few operators in another year - or could reflect genuine changes in the level of provision and patronage of services in those areas due to (e.g.) expansion or contraction by one or more operators.
The estimates in Table 9.1 suggest that, over the past ten years, there has been a decrease in the number of vehicle kilometres run by local bus services in two parts of Scotland, and increases in all other areas. Table 9.2 suggests the numbers of passenger journeys (boardings) have also fallen in most of the areas, with the scale of the percentage reduction apparently varying between areas. However, patronage in Lothian and Strathclyde appears to have risen since 1998-99, with the figure for Lothian in 2005-06 being 8% more (and Strathclyde being 10% less) than ten years earlier. Other areas' figures are more susceptible to year-to-year fluctuations in the estimated numbers. Tables 9.3 and 9.4 show figures for Regional Transport Partnership ( RTP) areas (see section 6.1 for more details on RTPs).
Chart K: Estimated passenger journeys on local bus services
Chart L: Estimated passenger journeys on local bus services for former regions
3.10 Local bus services: Longer term trends( Table 10.1; Chart M)
Some key statistics are available for local bus services for years from 1975. However, due to changes in methods of collecting the data, figures for years prior to 1985-86, which was the last full year prior to deregulation, may be less reliable than those for later years.
The distance travelled (vehicle kilometres) by local bus services in Scotland has increased by 6% since 1975, mainly due to an increase between 1985 and 1994. (Prior to 1985, there had been falls in most years since 1975). However, the number of passenger journeys (boardings) has decreased by 47% since 1975, with falls in most of the years since then. There have been increases in only eight of the 30 years since 1975: the rises between 1998-99 and 2004-05 was the first time since the current records began in 1975 that there had been rises in six consecutive years. Chart M shows how the increase from the "low point" of 424 million passenger journeys in 1998-99 compares with the falls in the previous 20-or-so years.
For GB as a whole, the distance travelled (vehicle kilometres) rose by 5% and the number of passenger journeys fell by 37% between 1975 and 2005-06.