£2 bus fare cap should apply everywhere
The Scottish Government must set a timetable for the rollout of the £2 bus fare cap across the country by Christmas, the Scottish Greens have said.
The £2 bus fare cap, secured by Scottish Greens, is currently in operation in the Highlands and Strathclyde, with John Swinney announcing at his party’s conference last month that Aberdeen would be the next region to see the fare limit introduced.
On Thursday, a majority of MSPs backed Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie’s amendment urging ministers to provide Parliament with a timeline for when this will be rolled out across the rest of the country.
Patrick’s amendment also called on the Transport Secretary to introduce an “ambitious bill” by Spring 2027, to turn the commitment to bus franchising across Scotland into a reality.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“I am pleased that SNP and Scottish Labour MSPs backed my amendment calling for a timetable for the £2 bus fare cap and concrete action to make bus franchising a reality.
“Stephen Flynn must set out as soon as possible when the £2 bus fare cap will be rolled out across the rest of the country and be transparent with local communities.
"If the SNP had been serious about it from the start, they could have made cheaper buses everywhere a reality by Christmas. The least they can do now is set out the timetable by then, so that everyone can look forward to saving cash on their daily journeys.
“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.
“The Scottish Greens have long called for buses to be brought under franchising, and ultimately public ownership.
"The Scottish Government is finally moving in the right direction, but we must ensure that this process is done properly to ensure that communities have access to the services that they need.”