Written question asked by Lord Grayling (Conservative) on Monday, 11 June 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 June 2007. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 June 2007 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Public Transport: Costs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in cost to the passenger of public transport in real terms in each year since 1997, broken down by mode of transport.

Answer

Table 1 shows in index form bus and coach fares and rail fares in real terms in each year since 1997.

Table 1: real changes in the cost of transport: UK 1997 to 2006—(Index 1997 = 100)
	Bus and coach fares	Rail fares
1997	100.0	100.0
1998	99.9	100.7
1999	101.9	102.8
2000	103.0	101.5
2001	105.4	103.6
2002	106.9	104.2
2003	108.2	103.0
2004	110.5	103.9
2005	114.6	105.1
2006	112.6	105.9
Source:
Office for National Statistics

Between 1997 and 2006 the real cost of bus and coach fares have increased by 12.6 per cent. and rail fares have increased by 5.9 per cent.

Secondary information