National Entitlement Card for concessionary travel data: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for the following information regarding the National Entitlement Card for concessionary transport in Scotland. I shall refer to this as the NEC.

1. Current and recent holders:

a. The total number of individuals currently holding an NEC who are age 60+ and, separately, those who are age 66+ ( the state retirement age).

b. The number of new NECs issued to people reaching the age of 60 in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

2. Cost of the concession:

For each of the three most recent financial years for which you have data, the estimated total face value of journeys taken using the NEC separately for those age 60-66 and those age 66+.

3. Car ownership impact:

a. Has Transport for Scotland or any organisation responsible for the administration of the NEC conducted or commissioned any research, surveys, or analysis into its impact on car ownership, car usage, or mode shift among recipients?

b. If so, please provide copies of any such research, reports, surveys, or internal briefings.

4. Employment status of recipients:

Does Transport Scotland collect or hold data on the employment status of NEC holders aged between 60 and their 66th birthday (i.e. whether recipients are full-time workers, part-time, retired, or unemployed)?

If so, please provide any available breakdown or estimates.

5. Engagement with recipients for research:

Has Transport Scotland made any effort to contact or invite NEC holders aged 60+ or 66+ to participate in research or surveys related to their travel behaviour, car ownership, or changes in transport choices following receipt of the concession? If yes, please provide details.

I would prefer to receive the information in electronic format.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below in the responses.

Some of the information you have requested is available online and links to these are provided in the responses below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

In answer to your questions:

1a – Please find the information in the document attached, within the tab marked “1a”.

1b – This information is not held, monthly statistics are provided on the number of cardholders, but not the detail of whether these cardholders have had a card before and the numbers of individual cards issued.

2 – Please find the information in the document attached, within the tab marked “Cost of concession”.

3a – There have been several reports, conducted by Transport Scotland since the introduction of the National Concessionary Travel Schemes, that contain some information relevant to your question.

3b – These reports are available online and are:

Concessionary Travel: Customer Feedback Research - Year One Report (published June 2013).
Concessionary Travel - Customer Feedback Research Year Two Report (published August 2014).
Year 1 evaluation - Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme (published December 2023).

4 – Transport Scotland do not hold details of the employment status of cardholders.

5 – NEC cardholders aged 60 plus were involved in the customer feedback reports listed within the answer to question 3b and details can be found via the website links provided.

About FOI

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

FOI 202500476724 - Information Released - Document

File type

Excel document

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18.1 kB