SCOTLAND’S Transport Secretary has confirmed there will be no pilot scheme putting a cap on bus fares.
Fiona Hyslop told MSPs that there was “no provision” in the current budget to fund the scheme.
A trial of fare capping on buses was recommended as part of Transport Scotland’s Fair Fares Review.
The announcement has been met with some criticism, with the Scottish Greens saying it has let down both workers and commuters.
Transport Scotland had said an “area-based” flat fares pilot could encourage people onto buses rather than opting to take the car.
Appearing before Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Hyslop signalled that she was in favour of a pilot but cited financial pressures as the reason it had not happened.
“I was keen that we did have a pilot but it proved particularly problematic last year because of the emergency measures,” she said.
“Anything that was new or additional, it was very difficult to get financial approval, as we had to realise the adjustments that had been made, particularly around the autumn budget.”
In September, Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced £500 million of emergency budget cuts amid what she described as “enormous and growing” financial pressure.
Hyslop suggested the reason was not purely financial though, adding: “There are challenges with a pilot because, as we know that, if you have a pilot and then you don’t continue it, that can cause issues from a passenger perspective.”
She said the private companies which run Scotland’s bus services were also “less than enthusiastic” about such a scheme.
“So, there isn’t provision currently in this budget for a pilot on fair cap,” she told MSPs, “although I would say that the vast majority of the fares in Scotland are under £3.”
A separate pilot scrapping peak rail fares did go ahead in Scotland and came to an end in September after nearly a year.
The Scottish Government said it decided not to carry the £40m scheme forward because it did not persuade enough people to swap their cars for the train.
The move had resulted in a 6.8% increase in passenger numbers but required a 10% rise to be self-financing.
During Tuesday’s committee, the Transport Secretary said she was monitoring whether the end of the rail pilot could decrease the number of people using the country’s trains.
The end of the scheme meant fares in many journeys doubled for peak users, with the popular Glasgow to Edinburgh commuter service costing passengers £31.40 – up from £16.20.
Hyslop (above) said it was “disappointing” the trial did not see the shift to rail services the Government had hoped for.
She told MSPs she would monitor its impact on passenger numbers, particularly during the coming autumn.
“I expect to have some information sometime around this spring,” she said.
Scottish Greens reaction
Reacting to the news, Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell said it was “disappointing”.
“If we want more people to use public transport and leave their cars at home then we badly need to cut the cost of travel, which is exactly what a fare cap would do,” he said.
“It is disappointing that the Scottish Government has not budgeted for piloting such a scheme, when it was one of the main recommendations in their own policy report and has been done in other parts of the UK.
“Bus fares vary hugely across the country. The introduction of a £2 fare cap would allow people to make the journeys they are currently priced out of while supporting workers and regular commuters, and encouraging people to leave their car at home and switch to public transport.
“By introducing a fare cap we can support communities, public transport and our climate while delivering cleaner, greener and more affordable transport for all.”
Ruskell continued: “The introduction of free bus travel for young people has been one of the proudest achievements of devolution and has saved families all over Scotland hundreds of pounds while creating a whole new generation of bus users.
“For some the price cliff when they lose their bus pass is huge, but a fare cap would help to keep them on buses when they have to start playing.”
