£2 bus fare cap needs to reach everyone
The Scottish Greens are urging ministers to deliver concrete action to transform Scotland’s bus network.
Ahead of a parliamentary debate on Strengthening Scotland’s Bus Network on Thursday afternoon, the party has urged the Scottish Government to back its amendment and set out a timeline for when the £2 bus fare cap will be rolled out across the country.
The Scottish Greens amendment, lodged by Patrick Harvie MSP, also calls on the Transport Secretary to introduce an “ambitious bill” by Spring 2027, to turn the commitment to bus franchising across Scotland into a reality.
It comes after First Minister John Swinney told his party conference that the Scottish Government would bring bus services under public control by the end of this parliament. This came after a long period of confusion about what the commitment to “better buses legislation” was intended to achieve.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“If the Scottish Government truly wants to deliver franchising across Scotland’s bus network then it will require concrete action to do so.
“The Scottish Greens have been calling for the bus network to be taken into public control for many years, and while we are pleased to see the First Minister backing green ideas, he must now present the detail to Parliament, urgently, if there’s any chance of delivering in this session of Parliament.
“We must have a timeline setting out when legislation will be brought to Parliament to allow these crucial changes to be made, and for Stephen Flynn to say when the rest of the country will benefit from the £2 bus fare cap.
“If the First Minister can announce that the cap will be extended to Aberdeen during his party’s conference, then there needs to be transparency for the rest of the country.
“Communities deserve to have good, reliable bus services to allow them to travel freely, and the Scottish Government must not drag this out without providing clarity on the next steps.
“Stephen Flynn must provide communities with details of his plans for the bus network across the country, rather than trying to take credit for green policies in his motion.
“I urge MSPs to back the Scottish Greens amendment tomorrow and ensure that communities across the country can be provided with clarity about what happens next.”