Bus and Coach Statistics: 2007-08
This biennial bulletin presents a range of bus statistics including Department for Transport Scottish bus operator data, Transport Scotland concessionary bus fare data and further analysis of bus-related information collected by the Scottish Household Survey.
1 Main points
1.1 Bus passenger journeys increased slightly in 2007/08 - a 1 per cent rise on 2006/07.
- The distance travelled by Scottish bus and coach services increased 11 per cent - to 556 million vehicle kilometres in 2007-08.
- Scottish bus operators' staff increased by 16 per cent in 2007/08 (to 20.4 thousand) compared to an increase of 4 per cent by GB as a whole (to 174.0 thousand). [ Table 1, Table 17].
1.2 Scottish bus fares decreased slightly (-1 per cent) in real terms in 2007/08, whereas GB fares increased (+1 per cent).
- Total government support to Scottish bus operators in 2007/08 summed to £275 million - a real term increase of 2 per cent on the previous year.
- Concessionary fare reimbursement in Scotland totalled £163 million in 2007/08 - a real term increase of 3 per cent on the previous year. [ Table 5, Table 10 - Table 12].
1.3 Bus use decreased as household income increased. Twelve per cent of respondents used their local bus service regularly and 12 per cent of respondents travelled to work by bus, a trend stable since 1999. [ Table 23, Table 27, Table 32].
1.4 In 2006/2007 there was a high level of satisfaction with respondents' local bus service. Eighty per cent of respondents in the SHS felt their local service was very or fairly convenient. [ Table 40 - Table 41].
1.5 Transport Scotland data in April 2008 indicated 26 per cent of the adult population owned a concessionary fare pass. In 2007, respondents in large urban areas were the most likely to own a concessionary fare pass and to use it regularly than respondents in rural areas. [ Table 48 - Table 49].