Concessionary Travel: The Scottish Experience

Gordon is in his 27th year as a transport professional. Having held passenger transport posts at Highland and Fife Councils he moved across the border to Norfolk in 1999 to head up the County Council's newly formed Integrated Passenger Transport Unit. After 7 years in Norfolk, and 6 park & ride sites and a major bus station later, it was time to come home to Scotland.

 

Having had direct responsibility for public transport, park & ride, rail, school transport, social services transport and a joint project on health transport - in fact most aspects of passenger transport except concessionary fares and integrated ticketing - he duly returned home to his native Scotland in 2006 to become Head of Concessionary Travel & Integrated Ticketing for the newly formed government agency Transport Scotland.

 

This has meant getting involved with a wide range of stakeholders and organisations, including bus, rail and ferry operators, ITSO, ticket machine suppliers, software specialists, consultants and card suppliers, as well as meeting the needs and expectations of the Scottish Executive

 

Away from work he is still to be seen chasing a football around the 5 a side pitch at an age when a more passive pastime should be beckoning