Scots top bus passenger league

The number of journeys has increased

Scots use the bus more than anyone else in the UK, according to the latest transport figures.

Some 445 million passenger journeys were taken on local bus services across Scotland from 2002 until 2003.

The total represented 88 journeys per head of population - 14% more than anywhere else in Britain.

The total distance travelled by bus per person was 63% higher than elsewhere with 41% of adults using a local bus service within the previous month.

The statistics were published in the Statistical Bulletin Bus and Coach Statistics 2002-03 released by the Scottish Executive on Friday.

The number of journeys went up 1% on the previous year and was the sixth increase since the current records began in 1975.

Passenger receipts

The report found that 70% of users agreed the buses ran on time and 71% thought the fares were good value.

However, there were 16% fewer passengers in 2002-03 than in the previous decade.

In real terms, bus fares rose by 19% over that 10-year period compared to an overall 1% rise in motoring costs for the UK over the same time span.

Passenger receipts from all bus and coach services totalled £495m in 2002-03 - £14m more than in the previous year and £45m more than 10 years earlier.

The progress is welcome but we should recognise that we have a considerable journey still to make Kenny MacAskill Scottish National Party

Transport Minister Nicol Stephen said: "We want to encourage more people to use public transport in Scotland.

"That is why we are investing more than ever in Scotland's bus and rail services.

"Significant investment has been made in new buses, bus priority measures and joint-ticketing arrangements to improve access to public transport.

"For the first time since current records began in 1975 we have an increase in bus passenger journeys in four consecutive years."

The Scottish National Party also welcomed the figures but said an integrated network of regional transport authorities would help improve the current situation.

The number of passengers has gone down

The party's transport spokesman Kenny MacAskill said: "We might be up 1% on the previous year but we are down 16% on 10 years ago.

"Overall, it's a very modest increase from a substantial period of decline.

"The progress is welcome but we should recognise that we have a considerable journey still to make.

"We believe re-regulation of Scotland's bus services and the introduction of regional transport authorities."

The Scottish Green Party said that despite the increase in bus journeys more could be done by the executive to promote public transport.

Traveline Scotland

It said it would alter the amount of money currently being ploughed into road building and would instead use it to promote the existing transport system.

Party transport spokesman Chris Ballance said: "Improving local bus services is the key to solving our transport crisis.

"Unfortunately the executive are spending the bulk of their money on road-building schemes which are simply making the problems worse.

"We would certainly reverse the current spending and spend more time promoting bus services.

"For example there is a website called Traveline Scotland , which was started up with the help of the executive, to help people plan their journeys but nobody knows about it.

"We would put money into promoting these services and other pieces of helpful information which would make using public transport easier for people."