Scotland's favourite bus operator revealed as passenger satisfaction rises across country
Passengers happiest in Strathclyde but least satisfied in north east
McGill’s Buses has been named Scotland’s favourite bus operator with a near universal approval rating in the latest annual passenger survey by official watchdog Transport Focus published on Wednesday.
The Greenock-based firm scored 97 per cent overall satisfaction - also the highest in Britain - ahead of Edinburgh’s main operator Lothian with 94 per cent.
Both improved their scores by 9 percentage points in 2025 compared to the previous year.
In a major boost to Scotland’s buses, Transport Focus also recorded “significant improvements” in overall passenger satisfaction across the country in its latest Your Bus Journey report.
That increased from 86 per cent to 91 per cent among the 3,342 people polled about the journey the day they were questioned.
However, it was lower for people with disabilities - who account for a fifth of passengers - at 88 per cent, which was up only one point.
Consumer Scotland highlighted in January that poor transport poses a "significant barrier" to the 230,000 rural Scots with disabilities getting to health appointments.
Buses account for by far the largest proportion of public transport trips in Scotland but they have been beset by a long-term downward trend in the number of fare-paying passengers which has been linked with services being delayed by traffic congestion.
Total bus journeys increased by 2 per cent to 334 million bus journeys in 2024-25 but remained 7 per cent below before the pandemic in 2019-20, according to new Transport Scotland figures also published on Wednesday.
Satisfaction with punctuality increased from 80 per cent to 86 per cent, while 84 per cent of passengers were happy with the waiting time for a bus compared to 78 per cent in 2024.
However, satisfaction was lowest in the north east at 82 per cent compared to 93 per cent in Strathclyde, the top scoring region, while south east Scotland saw the biggest improvement, up seven points to 92 per cent.
Passengers were least satisfied with Stagecoach in the north east with an 80 per cent rating, down four points.
Louise Collins, a director at Transport Focus, said: “It’s encouraging to see that bus passenger satisfaction across Scotland is on the rise, with notable increases in passenger satisfaction with the time the journey took, punctuality and bus stops.”
Stacey O’Flaherty, bus spokesperson for sustainable transport campaigners Transform Scotland, said: “Councils need to be given additional powers to reduce the impact of roadworks, and government must follow through on its commitments to bus priority and enforcement."
Paul White, director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland, which represents operators, said: “There are areas for improvement. Personal security on board and at the bus stop must remain a priority - and improving accessibility.”
“Concerningly, 26 per cent of the more than 900,000 daily bus journeys in Scotland are reported as delayed. Measures to improve bus speeds by tackling congestion will result in faster journey times and improved reliability.”
A Stagecoach North Scotland spokesperson said the findings “reflect a period of significant operational challenge across Aberdeenshire, particularly in relation to punctuality and service reliability”.
They said these included driver shortages, with recruitment and retention moves underway.
The Scottish Government provides free bus travel for some 40 per cent of the population, including under 22s and over 60s, with a £2 maximum fare being trialled across the Highlands and Islands, along with funding for improvements.
Connectivity minister Jim Fairlie said: “We want to continue to encourage more people to travel by bus and this survey shows that our significant investment is making a real difference for passengers in Scotland.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.