Transport: transport access, affordability and satisfaction

The Scottish Household Survey includes a series of questions about respondents’ access to and experience of different modes of transport. Transport and Travel in Scotland reports these findings and provides tables, including breakdowns by personal and household characteristics and by local authority.

Car access

In 2023, 74% of households had access to at least one car or van. These proportions differ by household income and urban/rural classification. Household car access was:

• 64% in large urban areas compared to 88% in accessible rural areas.
• 52% in the most deprived SIMD quintile compared to 87% in the least deprived quintile.
• 55% in the lowest equivalised income quintile compared to 92% in the highest equivalised income quintile.

Bicycle access

In 2023, 34% of households had access to at least one bicycle for private use. Household bicycle access was:

• 30% in large urban areas compared to 47% in both accessible and remote rural areas.
• 21% in the lowest equivalised income quintile compared to 52% in the highest equivalised income quintile.

Transport affordability

In 2023, 70% said they found it ‘fairly easy’ or ‘very easy’ to afford transport costs. Over half (54%) of respondents reported that cost affects their choice of transport mode. The proportion finding affordability fairly / very easy varied between different groups in the population:

• 71% of males compared to 69% of females.
• 61% of disabled people compared to 73% of non-disabled people.
• 59% of people in the lowest equivalised income quintile compared to 80% in the highest equivalised income quintile.
• 63% in large urban areas, compared to between 72% and 85% for the other urban / rural classification categories.

Public transport satisfaction

In 2023, satisfaction with public transport (fairly or very satisfied) was 64% compared with 58% in the previous year. However, this was lower than in 2019 and prior years. Satisfaction was lowest in rural areas, with 47% of those living in remote rural areas and 46% of those living in accessible rural areas satisfied. This compares with 72% satisfied in large urban areas.

Further data on transport access, affordability and satisfaction are available in the Transport and Travel in Scotland report.

Bus concessionary travel

The National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS) are open to Scottish residents. Children and young people aged 5 to 21, people aged 60 and over, and disabled people who meet the eligibility criteria, can apply for a card to access free bus travel in Scotland. As at 1 January 2025, the number of valid National Entitlement Cardholders who can access the NCTS for free bus travel was over 2.3 million. See the Transport Scotland website for the latest concessionary travel data.