BUS PATRONAGE: CAR OWNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT

This article is a response to an article by Heggie and Bailey (see IRRD no: 224579) in which they asserted that car ownership has not contributed to declining public transport patronage in the way that is normally assumed. The author feels that Heggie & Bailey's analysis omitted the important factor of the substantial arresting effect of increasing real income on falling numbers of stage passenger journeys. Further evidence needs to be found to indicate that overall, bus passengers are not very responsive to fares changes. The unexplained downward trend in stage bus usage, and the similarly unexplained upward trend in car ownership require further investigation in the author's view. /TRRL/