Plans to dramatically extend free bus travel to more than half of Scotland's population have been proposed by Scottish Government agencies, in a move that would cost taxpayers an estimated £127 million per year.
Who Would Benefit from the Expansion?
Currently, 42 per cent of Scots – including those under 22, over 60, and people on disability benefits – are eligible for a free bus pass. This existing scheme costs the public purse around £430 million annually and covers 2.3 million people.
The new proposal, from a joint study by Transport Scotland and Public Health Scotland, recommends extending the benefit to an additional 680,000 working-age adults deemed to be 'in relative poverty'. This group is defined as those earning less than approximately £23,000 per year.
If implemented, the expansion would mean almost three million people across Scotland could use the bus network at no cost.
Criticism and Financial Concerns
The proposal has been met with immediate criticism from opposition parties, who question its affordability. Scottish Tory finance spokesman Craig Hoy warned that with so few paying passengers left, the burden would fall on other taxpayers.
‘An expansion on this scale would undoubtedly result in more punishing tax rises for hard-pressed Scots or savage cuts to other public services,’ Hoy stated. He argued that, given the SNP's record, such plans are ‘completely unaffordable and unrealistic’ and urged ministers to focus on delivering ‘affordable and reliable public transport across the country’ instead.
The Push from Public Health and Transport Experts
The policy intervention is backed by senior figures including Dr Margaret Douglas of Public Health Scotland and Paul Sloan, head of research at Transport Scotland. Their study, published in the journal Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, found the current concessionary scheme is ‘not reaching many who would most benefit from free bus travel’.
They concluded that bus concessionary schemes are ‘particularly important to improve affordability’ and should be expanded, with ‘priority given to these populations’ living in relative poverty.
Separately, the Scottish Government is already in discussions regarding a Green Party proposal to offer free bus travel to all under-30s as part of budget negotiations. Ministers have also funded temporary schemes, including a £2 fare cap trial in some rural areas and a scheme for asylum seekers, at a combined estimated cost of £12 million until April.
The Scottish Government declined to comment directly on the latest recommendation to extend passes to low-income workers.
