On Fri, 4 Jan 2008 15:32:28 -0000, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

There's a real possibility that the free bus travel will wipe out daytime
train travel by the over 60s in some rural areas. I'm sure one of the
regional rail companies has already found this. South Wales perhaps?

Before the current scheme went live, Stagecoach were planning to
increase capacity on some south coast services, on the expectation
that there would be a transfer from paid-for rail to free bus. The 700
service between Brighton and Portsmouth has seen considerable
enhancement in frequency.

Just how much transfer there has been between modes does not seem to
have been studied, or if it has, the results have not been published.

Personally, on the odd occasions when I wish to go to Brighton, I now
walk to the end of the lane and catch the bus, rather than drive to
the Park and Ride, or catch the train, having driven to the station
and paid to park.
--
Terry Harper
Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society
http://www.omnibussoc.org