ASSESSING THE VALUE OF BUS SERVICES FOR

LEISURE

Dr Jo GuiverNick DaviesInstitute of Transport and Tourism

2Jo Guiver

Leisure Travel• Different from utility

travel:– Less routine/novelty– Part of experience– Discretionary,

• Whether or not to travel• Where to go• When to go• How to go• Who to go with

– Bundles of choices

3Jo Guiver

Discretionary Travel

Less important than utility?Often cross-borderMore politically expendable?

BUSES ARE BORING!

Why Buses?• Use road network,

– so potentially same reach as cars• Greater range of destinations than railway

network• Potential to enhance visitor experience• More sustainable and less intrusive than

individual car use• However, present a number of problems,

– not least image and information

7Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

2004

2005-2006

2007-2009

2010-2011

Assessing the Value of Bus Services for Leisure

STAR Conference 17th April 2013Rationale

• Previous surveys:– Costs– Skills – Combining data: bigger picture

• Produce off-the-shelf, easy to use system To maximise the skills of the University and minimise costs to users.

11Jo Guiver

How it worked

• University designed survey template• Spread sheet allowed easy inputting of

survey data• Macros in spread sheet generated

instant report

17Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

FINDINGS: PASSENGERS

18Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

Findings: Passengers1118 respondents• Older profile (52% over 60)• Lower income groups (37%

under £10,000, but 10% £50,000+)

• 9% (86) with disability restricting mobility

• 51% no car available on day• 8% (92) from overseas

19Jo Guiver

How knew about bus

0 20 40 60

Used beforeLeaflet

Word of MouthSaw bus stop info

Tourist Info CentreInternet Search

Saw bus

% of total responses

20Jo Guiver

Reason for Visit

Visit Ev

ent

Work

Get to/fr

om Accommodati

on

Visit Fr

iends

Outdoor Acti

vities

Meal/D

rink O

ut

Shopping

See C

ountrysid

e from bus

Visit Plac

e/Attrac

tion

Walking

050

100150200250300350400450

Resp

onde

nts

Assessing the Value of Bus Services for Leisure

STAR Conference 17th April 2013Reason for Visit

Visit E

vent

Wor

k

Get to

/from

Accom

modati

onVisi

t Frie

nds

Outdo

or Acti

vities

Mea

l/Drin

k Out

Shop

ping

See C

ount

ryside

from

bus

Visit P

lace/

Attraction

Walk

ing

050

100150200250300350400450

AllMain

Resp

onde

nts

Visiting Area and Using Buswhen last visited

area

0

10

20

30

40

last used this bus service

0

10

20

30

40

week

month

year

5 yea

rsne

ver

when expect to visit again

0

10

20

30

40

week

month

year

5 yea

rsne

ver

Alternatives if Bus not running

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Stay at home SameDestination

DifferentDestination

% o

f Val

id R

espo

nses

Walking

Cycle

Train

Car

Bus

Stay at Home

24Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

Alternatives• 35% would stay at home• 64% would not visit area

– (Stay at home 35% + Different destination 29%)

• 27% would use a car • 47% would change day of

travel to use bus

25Jo Guiver

Spending

26Jo Guiver

Spending

• Average Spending per day – £16.47 excluding accommodation– £25.89 with accommodation for one

night

Spending

02468

1012

Ave

rage

Spe

ndin

g pe

r pas

seng

er £

s

Visitors and Income lost without bus

Accommodation

47% stayed at least one night in holiday accommodation

Average length of stay was 5 nights

32Jo Guiver

HEALTH AND WELL-BEINGAND SATISFACTION

33Jo Guiver

74% of respondents did some form of physical activity

469 (65%) people walked14 (2%) people cycled127 (18%) said they did other physical activity

Satisfaction with Service

36Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

Satisfaction• Comfort, Information and

Frequency ‘good’• Most Factors ‘very good’ • 64% had a great time• 89% would recommend

service to a friend

37Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

In Summary• We have evidence that

these buses are helping to:– Reduce Social Exclusion– Reduce car use– Generate Local Spending– Are used for physical

activity • High satisfaction

– suggests they help well-being

38Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

How to Evaluate the Benefits?• Can apples, pears and

grapes be added up as units of fruit?

• Do we need to attribute relative values to the benefits?

Game at SeminarParticipants sat at different tables

according to their roles:– Volunteer Sector– Local authorities – National Parks, Areas of Outstanding

Natural Beauty, etc – Bus operators– Academics– Consultants

Assessing the Value of Bus Services for Leisure

STAR Conference 17th April 2013Sequence

1. Asked to give their personal priorities in terms of %s among: – Health and well-being– Local Spending– Social Inclusion– Car use reduction

2. In groups asked to allocate budget of £1,000 using (fictitious) table of benefits

Rates of Return

Number of extra people able to get out for day

0

200

400

600

800

1000

0 500 1000 1500 2000

£s

Ext

ra P

eopl

e ab

le to

get

out f

or a

day

Number of extra hours of physical activity

0500

100015002000

25003000

35004000

0 500 1000 1500 2000£s

Ext

ra H

ours

Phy

sica

l A

ctiv

ity

Number of car journeys replaced

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0 500 1000 1500 2000

£s

Car

jour

neys

repl

aced

Extra spending brought into the area

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

0 500 1000 1500 2000£s

Ext

ra s

pend

ing

in A

rea

Original Allocation of Priorities

0102030405060

Academic BusOperator

LocalGovernment

NationalPark andsimilar

Voluntaryorganisation

% o

f prio

rity

Health Local spending Social inclusion Car use reduction

Allocation of £1,000 Budget

Assessing the Value of Bus Services for Leisure

STAR Conference 17th April 2013Decision-making

• Stronger voices have more influence• Some just averaged individual

budgets• Budget allocation reflects priorities

rather than efficiency• Types of beneficiary important as

well as abstract ideas• Difficult to isolate benefits

45Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

Questions Arising• Are Decisions to allocate Public

Money rational?• Is evidence useful?• Should we be comparing the

benefit/cost ratios of these buses with other expenditure?

46Jo Guiver

Where to now?• Enlarge data collection?• Extrapolate survey findings to

whole season?• Look at costs?• More investigation into what

works/what doesn‘t ?• Applications to other types of

service?

47Assessing the Value of Bus

Services for Leisure

Thank you!

Any Questions or Suggestions?

Jo Guiver Institute of Transport and Tourism

University of Central Lancashirejwguiver@uclan.ac.uk