202300340602 · FOI · unclear
Free bus pass scheme costs and uptake: FOI release
Information requested
How much has the free bus pass for under 22s cost the government overall since it launched? Breakdown of these costs. How much is it estimated to continue to cost over the next five years? The government's cost/benefit analysis of the scheme so far a year on from delivery. What has the uptake been like for each of the local authority areas as reported to the government? Breakdown by each area and how many people have their card compared to how many do not?
Response
1. Between 31 January 2022 and 3 February 2023 the Scottish Government spent £102,378,600.88 on the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme. This is broken down in to £97,166,918.69 of operator reimbursements costs and £5,211,682.19 of operational set-up and maintenance costs.
2. The Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme is the first of its kind globally. Therefore there is not sufficient economic, demographic or travel pattern data to make such estimates.
In the financial year 2023-24, the scheme is expected to cost up to an estimated £189.5 million in claims.
3. Transport Scotland are undertaking an evaluation of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme to assess whether the scheme is working as expected in achieving its objectives and benefits. A value for money assessment will be undertaken at a later stage of the evaluation programme, usually three years after the introduction of the scheme. This is to allow enough time for the benefits of the scheme to mature, and ensure an accurate and robust cost/benefit assessment.
4. The table below shows the number of valid cardholders in the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of close of business on Tuesday 31 January 2023, broken down by local authority area. Please note that this information is based on live data and so will exclude those who have turned 22 or exited the scheme since its launch. This information was supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data.
The estimated eligible population refers to the number of people aged 5-21 who have become eligible for concessionary travel as a result of the Young Person’s Scheme, not including those under-22s already eligible for free bus travel through the disability criteria of the Older and Disabled Persons Scheme. These figures are derived from National Records of Scotland Mid Year Population estimates for 2021, and are adjusted to take into account the fact that the scheme became operational in 2022.
Local Authority Cardholders Estimated population eligible for the scheme (2022) Aberdeen City 25,331 35,800 Aberdeenshire 28,262 48,000 Angus Council 11,320 19,300 Argyll & Bute 6,654 13,300 City of Edinburgh 70,805 80,500 Clackmannanshire 3,402 9,000 Comhairlenan Eilean Siar 1,654 4,200 Dumfries and Galloway 9,887 23,500 Dundee City 19,651 25,400 East Ayrshire 15,512 20,900 East Dunbartonshire 10,110 19,700 East Lothian 12,809 19,500 East Renfrewshire 10,456 20,200 Falkirk 11,187 28,000 Fife 48,748 66,400 Glasgow City 61,889 100,900 Highland 17,052 39,300 Inverclyde 11,214 12,600 Midlothian 10,289 17,400 Moray 8,078 16,500 North Ayrshire 18,028 22,800 North Lanarkshire 36,050 62,800 Orkney Islands 1,599 3,500 Perth & Kinross 14,195 25,000 Renfrewshire 19,560 30,100 Scottish Borders 10,115 19,100 Shetland Islands 2,654 4,100 South Ayrshire 9,366 17,900 South Lanarkshire 35,077 55,200 Stirling 8,165 16,500 West Dunbartonshire 10,456 15,400 West Lothian 18,542 35,500
About FOI
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Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Enquiry Unit Email: ceu@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrews House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
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