Bus subsidy per passenger journey
Bus subsidy per passenger journey input indicator.
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Details
DfT Business Plan input indicator
Geographical coverage: England
Information broken down by: Region, data are available for London, English metropolitan areas (as a group), and English non-metropolitan areas (as a group)
Latest data
In the year ending March 2015, the average level of subsidy (direct from central government in the form of Bus Service Operators Grant, BSOG) per passenger journey was 5.4 pence.
Table for bus subsidy (Bus Service Operators Grant) per passenger journey
| Most recent data | |
|---|---|
| Year | Subsidy per Journey (year ending March 2015 prices) |
| year ending March 2014 | 6.5p |
| year ending March 2015 | 5.4p |
| Percentage change | -17% |
The complete set of data is available.
In the year ending 2015, the average level of subsidy (direct from central government) per passenger journey was 5.4 pence. This has decreased (adjusted for inflation) from 10.8 pence in the year ending March 2005. The rate at which BSOG is paid was cut by 20% from April 2012. From October 2013, BSOG for London was devolved to Transport for London.
In English non-metropolitan areas, BSOG per passenger journey was 12.9 pence in the year ending 2015 and 8.5 pence in English metropolitan areas.
Background information
Lower subsidy per passenger journey will indicate better value for the public purse. However, this could arise as a result of reductions in the most heavily subsidised services – many of which are routes in rural areas which would be unprofitable without public subsidy. Reductions to these services would improve the ‘headline’ measure but would risk making rural communities more isolated.
The figures exclude expenditure on capital projects (e.g. bus lane priority schemes) which benefit the bus industry directly or indirectly. Outside London, the local bus industry is deregulated, but London runs an entirely tendered bus market under the oversight of Transport for London. Given the different market structures, comparisons between London and the rest of country should be made with considerable care.
The indicator is calculated by dividing the total Bus Service Operators’ Grant by the total passenger journeys on buses (this will include concessionary journeys). Further information is available in the measurement template above.
publishing schedule: annually
last updated: 29 September 2015
next update: Autumn 2016
Other related data and information
The full guidance notes on DfT bus statistics
Related bus statistics
Research on attitudes to bus travel
Further information
Business Plan
Input and impact indicators
Analyst contact: Samuel Dickinson, Bus statistics
Updates to this page
Published 24 September 2013Last updated 23 September 2014 + show all updates
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Indicator page updated for the year ending March 2014.
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First published.