The first full year of Scotland’s concessionary fare scheme saw just a 1% increase in bus passenger numbers.

The latest main transport trends bulletin for Scotland revealed that patronage increased by less in 2006/07 than in three of the seven previous years of devolution, despite the ability of concessionary fare holders to travel across the country for free.

Meanwhile, road traffic continued to rise, which Scottish transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, said showed ‘the challenge facing us as we seek to persuade people to leave their cars at home’.

The result came as a review ordered by the Scottish Government into the operation of the national concessionary fare scheme gets under way, to consider whether it is meeting its objective of promoting modal shift, and if it represents value-for-money.

There were 482M passenger journeys on local bus services in Scotland in 2006/07, 1% more than in 2005/06. This followed a decline in bus use in 2005/06, but five years of growth prior to that.

This included a 7m – 2% – rise in 2003/04 alone, following the promotion of new national standards for local concessionary fares schemes in 2002, which increased awareness of the entitlement of elderly and disabled people to the passes.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport told Surveyor it had not expected a further large jump in bus use following the introduction of the national scheme.

A spokeswoman for CPT’s Scottish office claimed that the launch of the national scheme in 2006, to allow free national travel between the 16 concessionary fare areas across Scotland, had not represented ‘a big change’.

There had already been increased use of the passes following the new national standards in 2002, she said. ‘We’re pleased to see continuing growth, including growth not relating to concessionary fares use.’

The review of the national scheme is due to be completed by January, with any necessary amendments brought to the Scottish Parliament by spring.