The council also used the travel information collected, in conjunction with the local transport operator, to improve bus services to the college. The original Felpham scheme was widened to include pupils at nearby Bognor Community College. Similar schemes were then set up without subsidy, relying on the co-operation of the local transport operator to accept children at a reduced fare on the basis of increased patronage. Schemes are now operating at 11 schools in Bognor Regis, East Grinstead, Horsham and Crawley. Over 13,000 pupils have been issued with cards enabling them to travel at quarter fare on school journeys and in the evenings, weekends and during school holidays.
Teachers distribute the packs along with the passes at the start of the autumn term.
Measures of success Follow-up surveys at Felpham and Bognor in 1997 confirmed that bus use had increased from around 60 to 300 trips per day. New users cited cheaper fares, better knowledge of services, services matching travel needs and a desire to travel with friends as the main reasons for change vii . Although the quarter fares scheme has been successful in meeting its objectives of changing the way young people travel and making them more independent, some problems remain. Even with increased patronage, charging quarter fares means that there is a net revenue loss to commercial operators and there have been some service de-registrations. As operators of non-commercial services supported by WSCC are required to carry children at quarter fare, tenders have risen to reflect potential lost revenue.