On the buses: a mixed-method evaluation of the impact of free bus travel for young people on the public health

Abstract

Green J, Steinbach R, Jones A, Edwards P, Kelly C, Nellthorp J, et al. On the buses: a mixed-method evaluation of the impact of free bus travel for young people on the public health. Public Health Res 2014;2(1). -� Conclusion: The free bus travel scheme for young people appears to have encouraged their greater use of bus transport for short trips without signicant impact on their overall active travel. There was qualitative evidence for benets on social determinants of health, such as normalisation of bus travel, greater social inclusion and opportunities for independent travel. In the context of a good bus service, universal free bus travel for young people appears to be a cost-effective contributor to social inclusion and, potentially, to increasing sustainable transport in the long term. Further research is needed on the effects of both active and other travel modes on the determinants of health; the factors that inuence maintenance of travel mode change; trav