ASSESSING THE VALUE OF BUS SERVICES FOR LEISURE
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Transcript of ASSESSING THE VALUE OF BUS SERVICES FOR LEISURE
ASSESSING THE VALUE OF BUS SERVICES FOR
LEISURE
Dr Jo GuiverNick DaviesInstitute of Transport and Tourism
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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
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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
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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.
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How it worked
• University designed survey template• Spread sheet allowed easy inputting of
survey data• Macros in spread sheet generated
instant report
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Services for Leisure
FINDINGS: PASSENGERS
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Spending
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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
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HEALTH AND WELL-BEINGAND SATISFACTION
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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 [email protected]