Bus fares in Scotland should be capped at £2 to 'encourage people to leave their cars at home'

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A £2 cap on bus fares in Scotland would save commuters hundreds of pounds and transform access to local services, the Scottish Greens have said.

The party has called for the SNP Government to pilot such a move as part of the forthcoming budget in order to make public transport more affordable and protect routes across the country.

A similar policy has been in place in England since 2023, with single journeys capped at £2, saving regular commuters hundreds of pounds.

The Greens argue a cap on fares would build on the success of free bus travel for Scots under-22 and has resulted in 730,000 young people taking 140 million journeys since it was introduced in 2022.

Ruskell said: “By capping the price of bus travel we can open up our country and transform access to local bus services.

"A £2 fare cap would allow people to make journeys they are currently priced-out of while supporting workers and regular commuters, as well as people visiting friends and families.

"If we are to cut the cost of living and encourage people to leave their cars at home then we need to reduce the cost of public transport. This would have a huge benefit for people travelling between towns and cities, where the cost is often too high.

"When the Scottish Greens removed peak rail fares we got more people onto our trains and helped workers and students in a cost-of-living crisis. I am confident that a bus fare cap would do the same.

"I hope that the Scottish Government learns from the rollout of the bus fare cap in England and that they will introduce it as a central part of the upcoming Scottish Budget.

"The introduction of free bus travel for young people has been one of the proudest achievements of devolution. It has created a whole new generation of bus users, but for some the price cliff when they lose their bus pass is huge. A fare cap would help keep people on the buses when they have to start paying.

"By introducing a fare cap we can build on that success, cut pollution and deliver cleaner, greener and more affordable transport for all."

The price cap in England is delivered through voluntary agreement with bus operators, with central government reimbursing operators for the difference between the price cap and the commercial fare.

It comes after the Poverty Alliance urged the SNP Government to support more councils to bring buses back under local control.

MSPs will this week debate a public petition which calls for the re-regulation of buses to be made a priority after years of fare hikes and routes being axed.

Peter Kelly, Poverty Alliance chief executive, said: "People on low incomes tell us buses are too dear, too unreliable, and don't meet their needs."

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "Ministers are committed to building as broad support as possible across Parliament in order to deliver the forthcoming budget. Engagement with all parties is ongoing ahead of the draft budget being set out in the Scottish Parliament on 4 December.

“In relation to introducing a £2 fare cap, we are starting from a different position than England. Scotland-wide schemes offer free bus travel to a larger percentage of the population than schemes elsewhere in the UK.

"Currently, in Scotland, the statutory National Concessionary Travel Schemes for bus provide unlimited nationwide free travel to all children and young people under 22, eligible disabled people, and everyone aged 60 and over. The scheme’s allocated budget in 2024-25 is £370 million. The average single bus fare in Scotland is below £3."

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