Scots men more likely to drive than use public transport, survey finds

It comes as part of a campaign to encourage more people to ditch their cars

Author: Sophie AdamsPublished 8th May 2022

Scottish men are almost twice as likely to use their car for journeys rather than taking the bus compared to women, a survey from First Bus has found.

Around 12% of men will drive when they could take the bus, compared to 7% of women.

The survey also found that men were less likely to feel guilty about it, with four in 10 men saying they do not feel guilty, compared to three in 10 women (34%).

It comes as part of a campaign to encourage more people to ditch their cars in favour of public transport.

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Passenger preferences

The research also found that young people aged between 18-24 were the most frequent bus users, with nearly three in 10 (29%) using the bus more than once a week.

But when it comes to choosing to travel by car over taking the bus, those aged over 55 are the least likely to feel bad about their choice, with four in 10 (41%) saying that it does not make them feel guilty.

People aged 35-44 were least likely to take public transport, with nearly two-thirds (64%) travelling by bus less often than once every three months.

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'Consider taking the bus'

Duncan Cameron, managing director of First Bus in Scotland, said: "As we launch our Modal Shift campaign to encourage Scots to leave their cars behind a little more, I'd encourage frequent car users to consider taking the bus instead for their next journey.

"It's fantastic to see that young people in Scotland are finding the benefits of travelling by bus, and we hope that the recently introduced Free Bus Travel Scheme for under-22s will continue to build upon this trend, and set lifelong good travel habits."

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