1. Lift sharing: better than public transport?
Prof. David Gray

2. Quick question?
Which mode of transport is used most by non-car owning households in remote, rural and island areas?

3. Which mode of transport is used most by non-car owning households in remote, rural and island areas use most?
The Car

4. The issue in a nutshell
“The troubles of the rural buses really stem from the growth in the number of private motor cars now on our roads.”
“A lot of people who have the car are prepared to give a lift into the town on market days to their neighbours of friends”

5. The issue in a nutshell
“The troubles of the rural buses really stem from the growth in the number of private motor cars now on our roads.”
“A lot of people who have the car are prepared to give a lift into the town on market days to their neighbours of friends”
Hugh Wilson, MP for Truro, Parliamentary Debate (1962)

6. It’s the geography, stupid.”

7. Hard place to run a bus service

8. Easy place to run a bus service

9. Rural bus use On a given day…
2% of people living in remote rural areas will have used a bus
1% in remote small towns will use a bus.
5-6% more accessible rural areas and small towns
56% in our cities
Only 2% travel to work by bus from rural households compared to 18% for Scotland as a whole

10. Scottish Bus decline: 2006/7 to 2016/17
Annual Bus journeys
Network: Annual km
Scotland
-17%
-15%
Highlands and Islands
-20%
-23%

11. Empty buses - vicious circle
Declining network
Travel needs not being met
Falling demand for services
Higher £/per passenger costs
Unsustain-able
subsidies
Service withdrawal
Empty buses - vicious circle

12. Use of Concessionary Fares: by Local Authority Area
Ranked (Lowest to Highest)
Per Capita Over 60s JNYS
Orkney Islands
3.83
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
3.98
Shetland Islands
4.47
Highland
5.51
Moray
5.79
Dumfries & Galloway
6.06
Scottish Borders
6.08
Aberdeenshire
6.47
Aberdeen City
19.77
Renfrewshire
20.48
Midlothian
20.71
Dundee City
24.61
Glasgow City
26.72
City of Edinburgh
35.26

13. What to do? More equitable mechanism for concessionary fares
More capital less revenue
Technology?

14. Time for a new paradigm?
Reduce support for Public Transport, which doesn’t work
Find ways to support public transport (i.e. informal car sharing) which do work…
… in spite of the established policy paradigm…
…over the last 60+ years

15. Any questions?