Transport Minister Keith Brown, the MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, launched the final report on the Concessionary Bus Travel Customer Feedback Research in Alloa last week.

Transport Scotland published the research on Friday (15 August) which shows high levels of satisfaction amongst users of Scotland’s concessionary bus travel scheme.

It shows 98 per cent of cardholders are very or fairly satisfied with the scheme, which offers free bus travel, and highlighted how it has a positive impact on their physical and mental wellbeing, allowing independence or freedom.

This was particularly important for disabled users with 77 per cent saying that having the card helped them improve or maintain their mental wellbeing, with 63 per cent of all users saying the same.

Keith met with members of the Clackmannanshire Older Adults Forum, who had shared their experiences as part of the research, to mark the launch of the report.

He is encouraged by the feedback from the two-year research project and said it has provided “valuable information” about the scheme and how it can be continually improved.

He said, “It’s important to know what it’s used for as well, so this also gives us that information. Some people, a very small proportion, use it for work, about two per cent. It’s just important to me that we know what it’s being used for, how satisfied people are with it and any problems they have associated with it.

“There are lots of benefits, there’s economic benefits obviously. It allows people who may be on fixed incomes to get around the country to see friends and relatives and so on, and to undertake leisure activities.

“Socially it’s good for that reason as well. You might find a lot of people not being able to access a car, either because of physical reasons or because of financial reasons. This allows them to get around the country and that social interaction they can have going to visit a pal anywhere in the country, from one end of the country to another, or family is very good socially.

“As far as I can tell there’s no downside to it. It’s an expensive thing to do but we believe it’s well worth doing.

“And also, the people that are using it, by and large, have contributed throughout their lives to the taxation system and I think they are perfectly entitled to ask for something back.” Like Keith, forum member Willie Emslie thinks there are many benefits to having a bus pass and has used his regularly.

He said, “I’m very pleased with the concessionary bus travel and it’s dependable when you use it.

“It’s very handy if you’re on holiday, we’re just back from Inverness and Aberdeen and used it all the time when we were up there.” Fellow member Hamilton McGlone, added, “I enjoy the bus pass. I use it just locally, coming down into Alloa and going to Stirling on occasion.

“If I want to go up to Fort William, well the opportunity is there to go. All in all I think it’s an excellent thing.”