After a successful introduction of the £2 bus fare cap trial in the Highlands and Islands, the Scottish Government is working towards extending the initiative nationwide. As a result, the plan is going ahead in the Strathclyde region first, starting from Monday, September 7.
What is more, to ease the cost-of-living crisis, peak rail fares have been removed, and residents under 22 or over 60 can now travel for free throughout Scotland.
And now, First Minister John Swinney confirmed that, starting from Monday morning, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde will see the introduction of the £2 bus fare cap.
How does the £2 bus fare cap work?
The £2 bus fare cap is for single journeys only, making it a £4 return price. What is more, any day, weekly or monthly passes remain the same price.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn said: “The cost of living continues to put pressure on families across Scotland, and making public transport more affordable is one of the ways this government is determined to support people. That’s why we’ve scrapped peak rail fares and why we’ve committed record funding for bus services and concessionary travel in excess of £530 million for 2026-27.”
“In addition to free bus travel for under 22s, which has been a massive success with over 300 million journeys now made through the scheme – our £2 bus fare cap is already helping people save money on everyday journeys, while making it easier to choose the bus.”
“We are now moving at pace to extend that support to more communities and ultimately deliver a nationwide £2 fare cap – helping households, supporting our economy and encouraging more sustainable travel.”
First Minister John Swinney also pledged to reduce NHS wait times
He also pledged to cut NHS wait times for those who need treatment to no longer than 26 weeks by 2031. This will be done by cutting down the number of existing health boards to two – West and East of Scotland – freeing up time to provide patient treatment. However, this plan has received significant backlash due to possible job losses.
