Hansard

I think that we all agree that buses are the backbone of Scotland’s public transport system. For many people, whether they are getting to work, school or hospital appointments or visiting family and friends, buses are not just a convenience, but a necessity. However, too often, people are left behind by a system that simply is not working.

Across Scotland, communities have seen bus routes cut, services reduced and fares increased. In too many rural and semi-rural areas, buses have become unreliable or have disappeared altogether. Local bus services have collapsed under the SNP, since it came to power, with more than 1,400 routes gone and 1,700 buses lost from Scotland’s fleet. Too many people living on low incomes are priced off bus services, which limits their ability to access opportunities to work. The consequences are social isolation for individuals who rely on the services and decline for local economies. Poor services also prevent people from making the switch to public transport that is vital in meeting our climate targets. It is clear that our current system is not working in the public interest.

Local authorities should have the powers and the resources to take back control of local bus services where that is what communities need. We want a model that puts passengers first and runs buses for the public good. Progress on change is glacial. The franchising process is far too complex and slow. It creates barriers that prevent councils from stepping in when private companies withdraw or fail to deliver. We need to shorten and simplify the franchising process, so that local government can act quickly and effectively. It is about giving councils the tools that they need to deliver reliable, affordable and joined-up public transport networks.

We can look elsewhere in the UK for examples of how that can work. In greater Manchester, the move to publicly controlled buses under the Bee Network has already delivered lower fares, integrated ticketing and rising passenger satisfaction. There is no reason why communities in Fife, Stirling or Dundee should not be able to have the same benefits.

If we are serious about rebuilding our bus network, we must also think about where the buses come from. Scotland has the skills, the workforce and the industrial heritage to build clean, modern buses of the future, yet, too often, contracts that could have supported jobs here at home have gone overseas. The Scottish Government needs to prioritise domestic bus manufacturing—supporting good, skilled jobs that already exist and creating new ones in supply chains, apprenticeships and innovation. That is how we will ensure that the transition to net zero transport delivers benefits across the Scottish economy.

The free bus travel scheme for under-22s has helped a generation of young people to access opportunities and participate more fully in society. We should all celebrate that. However, we must also ensure that there is a reliable service for them to travel on, because, as other members have highlighted, free travel means little if the bus never comes.

It is now almost a year since the Parliament supported a Labour motion on addressing the abuse of bus drivers and its call for the ability to remove bus passes from individuals of any age—any age—who repeatedly carry out antisocial behaviour. I was pleased to hear from the minister that the Government intends to bring forward regulations on 4 December that would make some progress on that, which would be part of ensuring that buses are safe places for drivers and passengers. As part of that, it might also be helpful to have, at the same time, an update on work around the report that was prepared under Jenny Gilruth about women on public transport, which covered buses as well as trains.

Our amendment is about action, not just aspiration. It is about giving local government real power, backing Scottish industry and ensuring that bus services truly operate in the public interest. Scottish Labour has long argued for a people-centred approach to transport policy. We want public transport that connects communities, supports local economies and tackles climate change. Affordable, reliable, safe and accessible bus services are at the heart of that vision.

I move amendment S6M-19632.1, to leave out from “, and calls” to end and insert:

“; believes that bus travel is vital to everyone in Scotland participating in the economy and is concerned by the reduction in bus routes across Scotland of 44% between 2006-07 and 2023-24; calls on the Scottish Government to shorten and simplify the franchising process, enabling local authorities to bring bus services under local public control and for them to operate in the public interest; further calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise using domestic bus manufacturers to support good, skilled jobs in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to act swiftly to make it possible to remove bus passes from those who engage in persistent abusive behaviour towards bus drivers and passengers.”