Journeys made using smart ticketing or payment: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/02380 
Date received: 3 September 2018  
Date responded: 25 september 2018

 

 

How many journeys were made using some form of smart ticketing or payment in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016, (d) 2017 (e) by 3 September 2018.

 

 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold information on all journeys made in Scotland using some form of smart ticketing or payment.

Many of the journeys made using a form of smart ticketing or payment are on services operated by commercial public transport operators. As this information belongs to the operators and is not routinely made available to us, it would be for the individual operators themselves to report on.

Transport Scotland routinely publishes a range of statistics on public transport in Scotland, including on smart ticketing and these are available on our website at www.transport.gov.scot

Transport Scotland is responsible for the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People scheme and the Scotland-wide Concessionary Travel scheme for Young People which provides free or discounted bus travel through the National Entitlement Card. We can also provide figures for the ScotRail Franchise as well as for a number of local and educational schemes. Finally we support a number of smaller public transport operators offering their own smart products and these journeys are included.

I can provide the number of smart journeys made by operators under these schemes for financial years (April-March).

2014/15 – 148,270,197 journeys
2015/16 – 146,935,385 journeys
2016/17 – 148,465,564 journeys
2017/18 – 148,982,732 journeys

Due to the way that concession data is provided to us, figures for the current financial year (up to 3rd September) are not yet available.

 

I hope this information is helpful.

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses