The areas of Scotland to benefit from £2 trial bus fare cap revealed
Bus campaigners fear the pilot will increase the transport poverty gap in areas with no services
A planned trial of bus fares capped at £2 is to be launched across the Highlands and Islands.
The long-awaited £10 million pilot which was announced last year will also cover Argyll & Bute, and Moray, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said on Friday.
She had told MSPs in January the scheme had been ditched because of lack of money and opposition from bus operators, but it was included in the Scottish Budget a week later.
The start date has been officially announced, but the Scottish Greens said it would in late January.
Bus campaigners welcomed the move but said there were only limited services in many rural areas, and the scheme could widen the transport poverty gap.
Ms Hyslop said it was aimed at making bus travel more affordable and accessible, encourage greater public transport use, support lower-income passengers and strengthen local bus services.
The pilot was a key recommendation of the Fair Fares review carried out as part of the power-sharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens from 2021-24.
Ms Hyslop said it would be operated by the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership co-ordinating body, or Hitrans, and its equivalent in Shetland, ZetTrans.
It follows a £2 fare cap on many bus journeys in England being introduced in 2023, which increased to £3 in January.
Ms Hyslop said the pilot would “help people to make positive and proactive travel choices to use the bus and address affordability issues.”
Jenny Milne, director of the Scottish Rural and Islands Transport Community, said: “This will provide an opportunity to those living in the area to access more affordable transport and can help with access to many aspects of daily life from health care appointments, employment to social opportunities.
“However, it does come with the caveat that many residents and visitors will still be very limited in their bus travel due to the ongoing reduction in rural and island bus services.
“This is only good news for those that can access a bus service. For those who cannot, it is yet another benefit that they miss out on, and in turn widens the transport poverty gap and isolation impact in and between rural and island communities.”
The Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents bus operators, was also sceptical.
Scotland director Paul White said: “Recognition of the key role bus plays in connecting communities across Scotland is always positive.
“However, this fares initiative will not help address the barriers to sustainable passenger growth, namely freeing buses from congestion and making bus journeys faster and more reliable.
"The cabinet secretary's announcement comes ahead of consultation with the bus sector around how the scheme will operate in practice.
“Work now begins in earnest to ensure that the pilot is successful for all parties and doesn't result in a post-trial decline in bus use."
Scottish Greens transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell said: “This is fantastic news. I hope its success will convince the Scottish Government to roll it out to the rest of the country.”
Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Daniel Johnson said: "This pilot is welcome, but it doesn't change the fact huge parts of the Highlands don't have a bus service they can rely on.
"Under the SNP, people all over Scotland are paying higher fares for declining services - but Scottish Labour will make buses work for communities."
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