John Swinney has pledged to bring bus services across Scotland back under "public control" by 2031, following the example of Andy Burnham.
Speaking at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the First Minister announced "by the end of this Parliament, through franchising and regulation, the SNP will bring the bus network back into public control".
£2 bus fare cap extended
Swinney also confirmed that Aberdeen and the North East would become the latest region to see a £2 bus fare cap from April, following a successful introduction across Glasgow and the west.
Swinney said: "We need more buses and we need more frequent buses. It’s good for commuters and it’s good for the climate."
Bus services across Greater Manchester were brought back under public control - different to public ownership - during Burnham's time as metro mayor.
Background of bus deregulation
Bus services outside of London were deregulated by Margaret Thatcher's Tory government in the 1980s, allowing private operators to choose their own routes and timetables, with standards crashing and passenger numbers plummeting.
Under Manchester's rules, the region is divided into large operational blocks with operators bidding to run services under tight local contracts rather than operating on a purely commercial basis. It's not yet known what model the SNP leader wants to see implemented.
Edinburgh was alone in Scotland in keeping control of its local bus network, with the service in the Capital regularly winning awards and compared more favourably to the unpopular network in Glasgow. Councillors in Scotland's largest city voted in 2024 to progress plans to bring buses back under local control but faced stiff opposition from private operators.
Other announcements at SNP conference
Swinney also used his speech in Aberdeen to announce his Government will "combat the rise of the racists" through a £30 million "Scotland Together Fund". He said his party would "always fight the forces of the far-right".
He added: "I can announce today that we will fund the community groups, the people who are the very best of us, who are doing the hard yards to build bridges and break down barriers. We will back them with a new three-year £30 million Scotland Together Fund to give them the tools they need to push back the tide of racism in Scotland. Words are not enough Scotland belongs to all who live here."
Swinney also confirmed he will make harassment and abuse based on misogyny a specific criminal offence before the next summer recess at Holyrood, announcing the timeline for a misogyny bill – previously shelved – at the SNP conference. He announced a new £1 million Respect Fund to "give every school the resources they need to tackle misogyny".
Meanwhile, Police Scotland’s Don’t Be That Guy campaign will be expanded to "bring together high-profile sportsmen from football, rugby, cycling, swimming, athletics, golf and tennis" to offer young men and boys "positive role models".
Swinney's speech concludes a flat SNP conference that saw the main hall less than half full for many speakers, and saw SNP councillors angrily hit out over the Scottish Government's plan to slash the number of local authorities.
