Public transport demand for concessionary travel - UK experience

In most parts of the UK, reduced price or free travel has been available to elderly bus passengers and some other selected groups for many years, although with considerable variation from area to area. In the last few years, national standards have been imposed, but whereas in England this was through a statutory minimum half-fare scheme, in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, free concessionary travel has been made available. Ironically, as travel for the elderly has been made cheaper elsewhere, some of the larger English schemes have become less generous, with increases in concessionary fares. There has been keen interest in the impact of these changes on demand, because in Great Britain (outside London) bus services are provided by private operators, who are supposed to be compensated for providing concessionary fares on the basis that they are "no better off and no worse off". MVA has been involved in advising both scheme promoters and operators in all parts of the United Kingdom, and has been carrying out research to monitor and interpret the effects of the introduction of free travel in different areas. This paper reports on the available evidence of the impact of these changes on the demand for bus travel by the elderly and other concessionary groups. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126595.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0860503429
• Authors:
  • BAGGALEY, J
  • HILL, E
  • LAST, A
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 12pp
• Monograph Title: Risk aversion and route choice decisions
• Serial:
  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE EUROPEAN TRANSPORT CONFERENCE (ETC) 2003 HELD 8-10 OCTOBER 2003, STRASBOURG, FRANCE
  • Publisher: Association for European Transport (AET)
  • ISSN: 1474-9122

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Buses; Conferences; Demand; Free fares; Persons with disabilities; Tariffs
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 8525: Conference; 285: Demand (econ); 1726: Disabled person; 251: Free (no charge); 1746: Old people; 241: Tariff; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01013782
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-86050-342-9
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 22 2005 11:21AM