Start dates announced for rollout of Green £2 bus fare cap across Highlands and Islands
Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess has hailed the announcement of dates for the rollout of the £2 bus fare cap for the Highlands and Islands, which was secured by the Greens in budget negotiations.
The pilot, which began in Shetland in January and the Western Isles in February, will be introduced in Orkney on March 9, and in Highland, Moray, Argyll and Bute from March 23.
The more comes after the introduction of free bus travel for under 22s five years ago, and the permanent removal of peak rail fares last year. Both policies were also secured by Scottish Greens MSPs.
Ariane said:
“I am delighted that this pilot will soon be underway across the whole of the Highlands and Islands.
“It will be a very welcome change and a milestone for travel in a region where bus travel is often prohibitively expensive, especially for longer journeys.
“If we want people to use our buses then they have to be affordable, accessible and widely available, and a £2 cap is an important move towards that. I am confident that it will see more people and families choosing to leave their cars at home as a result.
“It is a crucial step in encouraging more people to take the bus, and one that we want to build on. That is why we will be committing to delivering free bus travel for everyone in Scotland in our manifesto.”