John Swinney is facing calls to introduce a national £2 bus fares cap from January, in line with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plans for England. However, uncertainty remains over how much additional funding Holyrood will receive for the scheme after the UK Government pledged £454 million.
The SNP government has already promised a £2 cap on fares by 2031, with a pilot scheme launched this year in the Highlands and Islands, Moray, and Argyll and Bute. During the election campaign, Swinney pledged to roll out the cap in the Strathclyde region, including Glasgow, within the first 100 days of a new SNP government, though ministers have since downgraded this to “making progress” on the ambition within that timeframe.
Emily Donnelly of Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “It is good to see Andy Burnham recognise the cost-of-living impact people face from expensive bus fares. What we need now in Scotland is an urgent universal rollout of the fare cap – avoiding the postcode lottery of phased implementation which we have seen so far.” She also criticised the new Labour government for partly funding the project by switching climate aid payments to the global south from grants to loans, calling it “detrimental and unjust”.
The UK Government stated the fares cap would be funded through an extra £454 million, including funding for devolved governments. When Westminster raises spending in a devolved policy area, Holyrood receives equivalent extra funding via Barnett consequentials. However, Treasury officials could not confirm how much Scotland will receive from the pledge, suggesting this may not emerge until the Autumn Budget. It is understood Scottish ministers are seeking clarity on how Burnham’s announcements will affect their funding.
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “Work is ongoing with partners, including operators, to progress a £2 bus fare cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde within the first 100 days of this government. We are also committed to bringing forward legislation for a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland by the end of this parliament, building on the evidence from the current pilot.”
