Apart from demand management for cars, it is unlikely that any single measure will positively transform bus patronage levels in the near term, in Scotland.
That’s the finding in a detailed 47-page report by KPMG analysing the decline in patronage.
It says that a “more concerted effort is needed to make use of existing policy levers to implement a package of measures 
to reduce bus journey times, increase service reliability and improve service affordability.”
It adds that the policy debate “needs to reach beyond ownership and regulation of local bus markets to consider alternative ways 
in which operators and local authorities can form alliances to meet the challenges ahead.”
The report, which found that 75% of the decline in bus passenger numbers could be attributed to factors out with the operators’ control, was commissioned by CPT Scotland.
Report at www.getonboardwithbus.scot
