Meeting of the Parliament 17 June 2026 [Last updated 18:21]
I will come to that point in just a second.
It is that interest that led us to work on a cross-party basis during the current budget process and to commit up to £4 million to support local transport authorities in developing business cases for local bus improvements through franchising, using the powers that were created in the legislation to which Mr Johnson referred.
It is essential that, if that is the route for buses that some choose to take, the business case is robust and considers all available evidence.
As the First Minister said in Parliament two weeks ago,
“We want to work with local authorities to advance such propositions, because they would be in the public interest.”—[Official Report, 4 June 2026; c 28.]
With those words in mind, I advise Parliament that we will build on the work that has already been undertaken to date by developing better buses legislation during this session of Parliament.
The legislation, which will take a considered—I am sure that members will be pleased to hear this—cross-party approach, will aim to help to enhance the delivery of bus services across Scotland. We will engage with operators, local transport authorities and others to inform the development of our proposals. I look forward to working with members across the chamber to put the needs of passengers at the very heart of the process.
Deputy Presiding Officer, I am conscious of the time, given the number of interventions that I have taken. To conclude, I repeat my view that affordable bus fares are essential for helping with the cost of living. For many of my constituents, particularly those who are under 22, older people and disabled people, the bus pass that this Government has delivered is making a huge difference to their lives. For some, it is the thing that breaks down the barriers of isolation and brings them into the heart of their communities and our society.
We will go further. Our vision for transport is rooted in affordability, accessibility and sustainability. I note for Mr Hoy that, by the end of this session of Parliament, we will introduce legislation to put in place a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland, which will include our pilot in the Highlands and Islands. That step of providing more affordable bus travel will help to change lives and tackle the cost of living. Our action will benefit families, the economy and the environment, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the chamber to deliver that.
However, before we get to that, I give the final word of my opening remarks to the unsung heroes of our buses—the mechanics, the office teams, the route planners and, indeed, the drivers. They are the glue that binds our service together—the friendly face on a dreich morning and the ones who hold the bus when we make that last-minute sprint to catch it. I say to them, the choices that we make in this Parliament will matter to you, and we will work with you and the public to make our bus service the best that it can be.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises the importance of affordable bus services connecting people to employment, education and essential services; welcomes the success of the free bus schemes available to 2.4 million people, including all those aged under 22, over 60 and disabled people; believes that more can be done to make it easier and cheaper for everyone to get around and supports, therefore, the phased rollout of a £2 bus fare cap, building on its introduction in the Highlands and Islands; endorses the introduction of the £2 cap in Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde as quickly as is practicable as part of the next phase of a national rollout, and welcomes the opportunity to develop Better Buses legislation in the current parliamentary session to support the delivery of affordable fares nationally and foster new routes, not least in rural areas.