Concessionary fares: trip generation among elderly passengers

Abstract

Elderly people form a significant part of the market for bus travel in Great Britain, and their number are likely to increase over the next few decades. In most areas their bus travel is subsidised through concessionary fare schemes, at a cost to public funds in excess of #400M per annum. The amount of travel generated by these schemes is important in gauging the effectiveness of concessionary fare policies, and in determining reimbursements to be paid to operators for lost revenue. A recent before and after study by TRL of the effects of a concessionary fare increase in one area suggested that much more travel may be generated by concessionary fare schemes than previous research had indicated. In order to resolve this apparent discrepancy, a new study was undertaken, combining three different approaches. The first is a longitudinal study examining changes in patronage resulting from concessionary fare changes in several major conurbations. The second is a cross-sectional study, using information from recent National Travel Surveys. The third is a comparison of trip rates in two matched pairs of areas, with similar geographical, demographical and public transport characteristics, but with different concessionary fare schemes. While each of these studies is limited by the availability of suitable data, the results are not entirely incompatible, and they provide a useful basis for review of concessionary fare arrangements by local authorities and operators. For the covering abstract, see IRRD 899083.

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