Official Report 809KB pdf
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S7M-01325, in the name of Daniel Johnson, on celebrating the 40th anniversary of Lothian Buses, formerly Lothian Region Transport.
The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I ask members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons now.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament celebrates the 40th anniversary of Lothian Buses, which was formerly Lothian Region Transport and is the UK’s largest municipal bus company; commends the foresight of then Lothian Region, which established Lothian Regional Transport plc following the Transport Act 1985, which mandated that bus operators be run as commercial entities; notes the efforts of the Lothian Region administration and trades unions for resisting a management buyout in 1992, ensuring that Lothian Buses was the only major publicly owned bus company in Scotland; believes that the deregulation and privatisation of bus services has failed on its own terms; notes the continued municipal ownership model in the Lothians; believes that this ensures profits are reinvested into new routes, low ticket prices and fleet improvements; notes the crucial role that it believes public transport has in addressing carbon emissions and growing local economies, and further notes calls on the Scottish Government to urgently simplify bus franchising legislation as a stepping-stone to municipal ownership, to ensure that other regions can build better bus services.
17:38
This is the first members’ business debate that I have secured in this parliamentary session and I cannot think of a more fitting reason for one, because this is an amazing city. It is a fantastic place to live, work and grow up in, and one of the things that makes this city amazing is its fantastic bus service.
Steve Jobs once said that advanced technology becomes so advanced that it becomes indistinguishable from magic. I worry that, as wonderful as Lothian Buses is, it is so good that sometimes people here maybe take it for granted. So, when I saw that this October would be the 40th anniversary of the creation of Lothian Region Transport in 1986—interestingly, it is also the 100th anniversary of the opening of Annandale bus depot—I recognised the need to mark that, because Lothian Buses is a critical part of this city. It is a fantastic example of what buses can do in providing a public service. Critically, looking at that anniversary, we see that it was not necessarily destined to be so; instead, it had to be decided on, fought for and secured.
I want to make remarks about the past of Lothian Buses because it is important to understand where it has come from. However, I also want to remark on the present—on where we are with regard to bus services and the lessons that Lothian Buses might have for services across the country—and on the future, because that is critical.
The year 1986 was one of privatisation and deregulation, with the drive by the Thatcher Government to try to bring about competition because it would deliver for all. Instead of selling off the assets, which happened in many places across the country, the Labour administration in Lothian Regional Council decided—because the Transport Act 1985 forced it to divest direct control of bus services—to create an arm’s-length body that would be wholly owned by the council. That was a bold and brave decision.
It was not only in 1986 that that decision had to be taken; in 1992, the Conservative Government made a further attempt to force what was left of the publicly owned bus services to be further privatised. I feel sorry for Miles Briggs at this point, as he is the only Conservative member present, but I do not hold him personally responsible for those decisions. There was an attempt to create management bias, and that was when we saw the big surge in the creation of now private companies such as Stagecoach and First Bus, which were once United Kingdom companies but are now in ownership in various parts of the world.
The councillors in Edinburgh resisted that attempt at privatisation, which was controversial even in the Labour group. People such as David Begg and Donald Anderson argued that perhaps we should go down that route, but Eric Milligan and Keith Geddes stood firm. That is notable. I think that Donald has written a couple of very good columns about that history, in which he acknowledged that he was wrong—I think that it is one of few issues that he was wrong about. He is somebody who I think has a lot to say about buses.
That decision allowed Lothian Buses to go from strength to strength, from its rebranding into Lothian Buses at the point when it was embarking on the bus wars—when private bus companies sought to undercut it and drive it out of business, which it resisted—to the creation of the trams in 2014 and their integration into the wider bus service in 2025.
Lothian Buses is a great success story: 36 per cent of all bus journeys in Scotland are with Lothian Buses, and people undertake more journeys with Lothian Buses than with ScotRail. I am pleased that so many representatives from Lothian Buses are present in the public gallery, from the employee director to union representatives from Unite, as well as apprentices, drivers and engineers. I take this opportunity to thank them for the work that they do in running the service on which so many people in the city rely.
The public ownership model is critical. It has allowed £43 million of capital investment and the reinvestment of profits in the system that keeps the city moving, including a £4.5 million social dividend, with services delivered according to social need. There is a self-sustaining bus service, run in the public interest, where profits are returned to grow public assets for that selfsame public who uses the service. Buses are critical public services and national infrastructure and are central to productivity—study after study shows that poor public transport holds productivity back.
It is quite simple: if someone does not have the means to travel to alternative employment for better job prospects or better wages, that is not just damaging for the individual; it is damaging for the whole economy. That is why public control is important and why it is on the agendas of both the UK Government and, I am glad to hear, the Scottish Government.
However, we need to move further, because the bus services picture is not as rosy across the whole country. Since 2007-08, when bus use was at its peak, we have seen a 31 per cent fall in the number of bus journeys in Scotland. At the same time, Lothian Buses bus journeys are 30 per cent higher. Since 2019-20, we have seen a 15 per cent decline in the bus fleet and we have 10 per cent fewer people working in the bus sector. At the same time, the revenue going to private bus companies is 9 per cent higher than it was five years ago and the public subsidy is 24 per cent higher. Quite simply, we are getting less but paying more for it.
That is why we must move forward with bus franchising. Let us be clear that bus franchising has been very positive for Manchester. There has been a 40 per cent increase in passenger numbers, a 7 per cent increase in—sorry, I cannot read my own handwriting here—and the cost is 33 per cent lower per mile than in the deregulated system. That shows that public sector control—and, critically, control of the fare box—is important.
I also want to be clear that franchising is a means to an end, not an end in itself. We must take care, and I appreciate Stephen Flynn’s comment during last week’s bus debate that whatever moves are made to advance franchising, the Lothian Buses model will be protected. In my view, although franchising is an improvement, the end is municipal, publicly owned bus services. Lothian Buses is a great model. We must celebrate it, but we must also protect it. Bus services are critical national infrastructure.
I will close with this: we might wait months or maybe even years for a bus debate, but we are blessed in the Parliament, last week and this week, to have had two come along at once. I look forward to a great debate that celebrates Lothian Buses and bus services as a whole.
17:47
I thank Daniel Johnson for securing this debate. Forty years is a significant milestone, as he said. In 1986, following the deregulation of bus services, Lothian Region Transport became a commercial company—Lothian Region Transport plc—that was wholly owned by the then Lothian Regional Council.
As Daniel Johnson said, there are lessons to be learned. What happened in 1986 was a pivotal moment. While many municipal operators across the UK were privatised or disappeared, Lothian stood firm. Local ownership was protected, and that decision has shaped the high-quality, reliable public transport that we depend on today. In 2000, LRT was rebranded as Lothian Buses, but the core values of public service and local accountability have remained constant.
Daniel Johnson talked about the importance of Lothian Buses to Edinburgh, but I want to talk about the people of East Lothian, for whom one of the most important chapters in this story came a decade ago, in 2016. When First Scotland East announced that it was withdrawing services and closing its depots in Musselburgh and North Berwick, nearly 90 jobs as well as vital transport links were at risk. Communities from Dunbar and North Berwick to Haddington, Prestonpans and beyond faced the prospect of losing essential bus connections to Edinburgh and within the county.
Lothian Buses stepped in. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, East Coast Buses, it took over the operations, depots and staff, and services continued from 14 August 2016. New vehicles were introduced, investment was made in the Musselburgh garage and frequencies were improved. What could have been a major loss for East Lothian became an opportunity for better, more reliable public transport under a trusted local operator. That decision mattered, and it still matters to the people who I represent.
Reliable buses connect our coastal towns and rural communities to jobs, education, healthcare and, of course, family. They reduce isolation for older residents, support young people who travel to college or work, and help businesses to thrive. East Coast Buses has become part of the fabric of daily life across East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs. Lothian Buses continues to invest in modern and accessible lower-emissions vehicles and it maintains one of the strongest public transport networks in Scotland.
As Daniel Johnson said, Lothian Buses remains majority public owned, with the City of Edinburgh Council and neighbouring authorities, including East Lothian Council, as stakeholders. That stake helps to ensure that services reflect local needs.
As we mark the 40th anniversary, we should thank the drivers, engineers, planners and support staff who keep the network running every day, often in challenging conditions. Lothian Buses is a major employer in the area, employing more than 3,000 people, with the economic contribution that that brings.
We should recognise the vision of those who, decades ago, fought to keep Lothian Buses in public hands. Looking ahead, the challenge is clear: to build on the company’s success with even greener buses, better integration, improved rural and evening services and continued investment so that public transport remains an attractive, affordable choice for everyone.
I want to speak a little bit about the Government’s plans to bring Scotland’s bus network under public control by 2031, through bus franchising and regulation. That will allow regional transport authorities to set routes, timetables and fare structures, while private and public operators bid to run services. That model already exists and works really well with Lothian Buses. Therefore, I urge the Government and the cabinet secretary to work closely with the company as the plans progress. I will monitor that and will engage with the cabinet secretary and Lothian Buses as things develop.
I congratulate everyone at Lothian Buses and East Coast Buses on 40 years of dedicated service. Here’s to the next 40 years of connecting our communities.
17:51
I thank Daniel Johnson for securing this important debate, and I congratulate everyone at Lothian Buses on 40 years of public service. It is great to see so many people in the public gallery, including everyone who Daniel mentioned. I also see the chair of Lothian Buses, Susan Deacon, in the gallery, as well as members of my trade union, Unite. It is really good to have you all here.
Forty years on, Lothian Buses is a remarkable success story. It is the story of the UK’s largest municipal bus company, which carried 119 million passengers in 2025. I just learned this week that more than a third of all bus journeys in Scotland were made on Lothian Buses. That is something to celebrate, and it is also something to learn from.
Lothian Buses shows us what happens when public transport is treated as an essential public service instead of simply a commercial opportunity. For example, on a Sunday night, services might not pass a purely commercial test, but they pass the test that really matters: they connect people to work, to family and friends, and to our communities. When Lothian Buses makes a surplus, the money is reinvested in better services, affordable fares and cleaner buses. That is the difference that public ownership makes. It puts passengers and communities first.
As a Glasgow MSP, I look at the record of Lothian Buses with envy. In my own part of the country, I see stark transport inequalities. It is always the communities with the fewest cars and the least resources that are most dependent on buses, yet too many people in my area face cancelled services, unreliable timetables and routes that simply do not meet their needs. A cheap or free bus fare on a bus that never arrives is no answer to the cost of living crisis that many of our people face. We need public control of both the fare and the service.
For me, it is about much more than transport. It is also about tackling poverty, connecting people to good jobs, supporting local businesses and growing our economy. It is of course essential to meeting our climate commitments, too. Transport accounts for around a third of Scotland’s emissions, but we will not persuade people to leave their cars at home if the bus service that they need has been withdrawn.
There are lessons from Greater Manchester, as Daniel Johnson has said. We should reflect on the fact that Andy Burnham was told that public control could not be done. Operators took him to court, but he won and delivered franchising on time and on budget.
Manchester has shown what franchising can achieve, Lothian shows what sustained municipal ownership can deliver and Glasgow should be ambitious enough to pursue both. That is why I am proud to support the Get Glasgow Moving and better buses for Strathclyde campaigns, whose supporters have spent 10 years making the case for better public transport.
[Made a request to intervene.]
Is Paul Sweeney online? I am happy to take the intervention.
I thank my Glasgow colleague Monica Lennon for giving way. She has made an important point about the potential to unify bus franchising with public municipal ownership in Glasgow. Perhaps we Glaswegians would even welcome a bid from Lothian Buses to run any franchise packages for greater Glasgow that the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport might develop in the near future.
It is always good to hear from my colleague Paul Sweeney. There were some smiles in the public gallery, which I will allow to speak for themselves.
I do not want to run over my time, Presiding Officer. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport is in his place, and I am looking forward to his remarks. However, I think that he has heard loud and clear from campaigners that we want the Government to urgently simplify franchising legislation and to devolve powers and resources so that we can take services back into public and community hands.
Lothian has had 40 years of publicly owned buses. Glasgow has waited for long enough. Tonight, let us celebrate Lothian Buses not just with warm words but by learning from its example and delivering the public transport network that the people of Strathclyde and other parts of Scotland deserve.
17:56
I, too, congratulate Daniel Johnson on securing the debate, and I join him in celebrating 40 years of Lothian Buses. The history lesson that he gave us was absolutely fascinating. I also congratulate Paul Sweeney on the joke that he has just told, albeit online.
The debate is particularly timely, because the future of bus services—especially franchising—is firmly on the agenda, and is especially on the agenda of the Transport Committee. We have debated the subject quite a few times in the chamber, questioned the cabinet secretary—sometimes without results—and examined the different models that are available.
Lothian Buses provides an excellent example of what can be achieved. It is a success story: a publicly owned company, operating commercially, serving Edinburgh and the Lothians and investing in its fleet, services and people. When I speak to people who regularly use Lothian Buses, they are overwhelmingly happy with the service. I, too, have found its buses easy to use and great value for money. The biggest complaints tend to be about not the buses but potholes, which are due to council underfunding, and the seemingly endless roadworks that delay the journey.
When it comes to operating a bus service, therefore, we have in Edinburgh something worth celebrating. Such a model could be rolled out across Scotland, including in Strathclyde. I completely agree with that.
However, a success story in one part of Scotland does not mean that the same model is right everywhere else. There are different options. We all want successful outcomes: reliable buses, affordable fares, better connections and services that people can depend on. However, we sometimes need to take a different route to reach the same destination. That has been my consistent point in the Transport Committee and the chamber.
However, despite repeated attempts to get clarity from the cabinet secretary in the chamber and at committee, we are no clearer on what is being planned. At the Transport Committee meeting this morning, it was clear that civil servants do not know what is going on. Transport Scotland chief executive Alison Irvine’s responses to my questions this morning led me to believe that maybe nothing will change—and that, if it does. there is no chance of anything happening across the country by 2031, which is the arbitrary timetable that has been set by the First Minister.
The cabinet secretary should tell us today whether franchising or other models will be imposed throughout Scotland, apart from here in Edinburgh. He should confirm that buses will not be taken into public ownership. There is a role for the private sector.
He should explain why he thinks that legislation is even necessary, apart from in relation to the measure to remove the panel from the franchising process. He will not do any of that, of course.
Franchising can work, but we should not have a one-size-fits-all model—nobody wants that. I just await the answers that have not been forthcoming from Stephen Flynn. He does not want to touch Lothian Buses—that is entirely right, as it has a stellar reputation across Britain.
Lothian Buses has demonstrated what a successful municipal operator can achieve, so let us celebrate that achievement, learn from it and give other communities the freedom and support to find their own successful route.
18:00
I am delighted to be part of this debate and am grateful to Daniel Johnson for securing it.
I moved to Edinburgh more than 23 years ago, and have been a regular user of Lothian Buses ever since. Whether it involved taking the bus to work, riding home from an aerial circus class in the dark or negotiating the bus’s steps in ridiculous heels and a sparkly dress on a night out, Lothian Buses has been there for me the whole time. Through relationship break-ups and start-ups, job interviews and first dates, election losses and wins, and wedding anniversaries, getting on the bus, whether in excitement or despair, has been part of all of it.
Lothian Buses is the infrastructure that makes living in the centre of Edinburgh work. It connects our 20-minute neighbourhoods to parts of the city that are just a little bit too far to walk to, especially when it is raining, or sleeting, or windy, or generally horrible.
When I first moved to Edinburgh, I was broke, and I walked to work for months. A monthly bus pass was among the first things that I bought when I got my finances back on track. It was life-changing. I could go anywhere for—at that time—about £50 a month. To be able to go anywhere in our city, at any time, on a reliable, safe and affordable bus service is such a gift.
The success of Lothian Buses was not achieved overnight. It has been built patiently by generations of drivers, engineers, mechanics, planners, customer service staff and managers, supported by all of those who recognise the value of retaining public ownership and maintaining a long-term vision.
Across Scotland, we are having conversations about how to improve local public transport, how to empower communities and local authorities and how to make bus travel a more attractive option. We want better services in our towns, cities and rural communities. We want cleaner air, lower emissions and less congestion. We want people to have affordable alternatives to cars.
It has always seemed really unfair to me that those of us in Edinburgh can go anywhere for a relatively small fee, while people elsewhere are forced to bear all the expense of car ownership, maintenance, insurance and fuel because they do not have a reliable and affordable bus service. I feel like people who live outside Edinburgh should be more outraged about that. An affordable and reliable, publicly owned bus service should be the default: a basic expectation.
The former mayor of Bogotá, Enrique Peñalosa, famously said:
“An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport.”
I feel like in Edinburgh, we are nearly there.
This morning, in the Transport Committee, I was describing the situation where I live, in East Kilbride. I live on quite a large, quite well-off estate, but we do not have a decent bus service. I think that that is the situation that Lorna Slater is describing. People like me are forced to use cars, but I would love to use the bus. Monica Lennon has also championed parts of her constituency that are in exactly the same position. Lorna Slater is absolutely right, and this is the challenge that faces the cabinet secretary: we need a system across Scotland that serves everyone, so that they can use public transport.
Absolutely. As I said, I am amazed that Mr Simpson’s constituents are not more annoyed. We should be hearing from them every week about how they want buses. We should all be like the people demanding better publicly-owned buses.
I would like more measures to be taken to manage traffic levels and to raise money to support even better bus services. The council should use its powers to implement a workplace parking levy, introduce congestion charging and increase the size of the low-emission zone. That would make Edinburgh Central safer, cleaner and more accessible.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary, let us recognise not only an outstanding transport operator, but a powerful example of what public ownership, public service and long-term thinking can achieve. To everyone who has contributed to Lothian Buses’ success over the past four decades, I say thank you. Your work has helped to make Edinburgh more connected and accessible, and a more sustainable city. For the next 40 years, may your success continue to inspire communities across Scotland to build the public transport networks that they deserve.
18:05
I thank my friend and colleague, Daniel Johnson—at least, he was my friend at the beginning of the debate—for securing this members’ business debate, and I congratulate Lothian Buses on reaching its 40th anniversary.
Forty years ago, I was three years old. I believe that Daniel was nine—perhaps he was an expert on privatisation then; I do not know. Looking back, there was a lot happening then—this is from the notes that my office made ahead of the debate—from Wham! breaking up to Diego Maradona’s hand of god, which I am sure that the cabinet secretary will celebrate. There was a lot going on, but I think that none of us can doubt that Lothian Buses has served our communities well and has been at the heart of Edinburgh and the wider Lothian community for those four decades.
In the national debate that is currently taking place around future models for bus services, as we have heard, MSPs from elsewhere in Scotland often highlight the poor quality of services in their communities. That is not something that we will hear from any Lothian members this evening, and I think that we can celebrate that and the services that we in the capital enjoy.
What really matters is strong leadership and management, allied with consistent and planned investment in order to keep pace with public demand. That is the recipe for success that Lothian Buses has delivered. Most importantly, it is the people who make an organisation, and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the thousands of people and employees, past and present, who have worked for the company and made it the force that it is today. We should all pay tribute to them today, and I welcome to the public gallery several drivers, engineers, apprentices, union representatives and board members. I know from the visits that I have undertaken to various different parts of the business over the past 10 years that it is their tireless work that has made the organisation a success, and that is what we are celebrating tonight.
It is also worth reflecting on the challenges that we face in a city such as Edinburgh. As has been mentioned, those challenges include what feel like permanent roadworks, as well as the weather, especially given the nature of a historic city; I have been on many buses going up the Mound in winter that have had to give up when we have had snow. There is also the permanent stream of visitors, given all our festivals, which cannot be underestimated.
When we consider that Lothian Buses recorded 119 million customer journeys in 2025, which was up by 2.6 per cent on the previous year, it is clear that the company is going from success to success. Today, Lothian Buses is an iconic part of the capital, and the maroon buses and green buses that serve the city and the county of East Lothian are as familiar as Edinburgh castle to anyone here. It is probably hats off to the marketing team, which has used a diplomatic colour scheme to keep both sets of football fans in the city happy.
However, although Edinburgh is incredibly fortunate to have such a well-functioning and well-funded public transport system, those successes should not obscure the challenges facing communities across Lothian, some of which Paul McLennan mentioned. In more rural areas in East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian, there is more demand—as I know from representing those areas—for additional services connecting them to the capital. I know from speaking to a number of constituents during the election campaign that the provision of bus services to health facilities in particular is not always what we would want it to be, and we should never shy away from that. That is why, when we look towards continued co-operation between Lothian Buses, local authorities and the Scottish Government, I would like us to look at improvements in local connectivity as we move forward to ensure that our health services are integrated, too.
Although I recognise that bus routes must be financially sustainable, the value of public transport to local communities—as we heard from Monica Lennon—cannot be underestimated.
I congratulate everyone who is associated with Lothian Buses on the milestone that they are celebrating and wish them the best for the next 40 years.
I know, as a regular loser—user—[Laughter.]
That was a Freudian slip.
I will pass over that, cabinet secretary.
I know, from being a regular user of the buses, that bus drivers in Edinburgh really value the “Thank you, driver” that they receive when we get off the bus here. On behalf of the Conservatives in the Parliament, therefore, I thank Lothian Buses, and wish the company great and sustained success in the future.
18:10
I thank Daniel Johnson for bringing the debate to the chamber. I am delighted to take part, not only as an MSP but as a resident who has relied on Lothian Buses for so much, for so many years.
We have heard a bit about the origin of Lothian Buses, going all the way back to the Edinburgh Street Tramways Company, which was founded in 1871. In four minutes, I am definitely not going to be able to cover all the fascinating details. Let us just say that the City of Edinburgh Corporation, as it was back then, was very forward looking—the first motor bus was introduced in July 1914 and, from there, the company went from strength to strength.
We have already heard—that is probably a characteristic of speaking at this point in the debate, but I think that it is important to reiterate the point—that when Thatcher tried to deregulate and privatise the buses, the city council was not going to take it lying down. In response to the Transport Act 1985, the council set up Lothian Region Transport. A critical point is that there was pressure put on the council for a commercial buy-out—apologies to Miles Briggs for highlighting this again; it is nothing personal—but the council resisted it, which is why we have the bus service in the city that we have today.
The track record speaks for itself, because in Edinburgh we have an incredible bus service. It is fast and regular, and our fares are sitting at £2.40, without a bus cap. As we heard from Monica Lennon, those in other parts of the country can only dream of that. A £2.40 fare will take you, on a 44 bus, the 20 miles from Wallyford to Balerno or, on a 26, the 23 miles from Seton Sands to Clerwood. That is with the same level of subsidy that goes to the private companies, which regularly charge £6, £7 or £8 for such a journey.
In fact, although most bus companies’ revenue is around 50 per cent of subsidy, Lothian Buses’ revenue is just 36 per cent. As we have heard already, 36 is an important number for Lothian Buses, because 36 per cent of all bus journeys in Scotland are made on Lothian Buses. That is just phenomenal—it is an incredible statistic.
We know that not everything is perfect, and I know that some residents in my region feel that their communities are not well served. I recognise the need in particular from residents in rural parts of the Lothians, in our villages and small towns, where there will never be commercially viable routes but residents are at risk of isolation if interventions are not made. That is where the councils need to step in and subsidise routes where such need exists. Some councils are better than others at that, but the success of Lothian Buses makes it an option because it creates dividends. In another model, those dividends would end up being shareholder profits, but they can now be spent on subsidising other transport infrastructure.
Those dividends are significant. For City of Edinburgh Council, for example, they are supporting the borrowing to build out the tram. That is the legacy of Lothian Buses in the city, and it cannot be underestimated. The legacy is not just part of the fabric of our city, as we see the traditional madder-and-white livery, especially along Princes Street, which sometimes feels like it is literally made out of buses. Lothian Buses has powered our city, transported us and allowed us to manage the traffic in our medieval streetscape, which leads to log-jams at the slightest disruption. It brings folk to work across the whole region, making the Lothians one of the most liveable and workable places in Scotland. What a testament that is to municipally owned bus services.
The Scottish National Party Government has now announced that it will bring all bus services under public control across Scotland by the end of the current session of Parliament. I hope, therefore, that we can see Lothian Buses as a beacon and a model. With public services that are run for the people and not for profit, there is so much that we can achieve, as Lothian Buses has proven. I offer huge congratulations to the company, and to all the drivers, the engineers and the whole staff team, on a fantastic 40 years—thank you.
18:14
I say a big thank you to Daniel Johnson for bringing this important motion to the chamber. The trouble with being the last speaker in a debate is that most of the things that you were going to say have already been said, but I will make a couple of points.
As the constituency MSP for the Annandale Street headquarters, and now that my constituency borders the depot at King’s Road, as a representative, I feel deeply connected to this remarkable service that has been built up over four decades. It has not just kept Edinburgh moving but helped to drive its growing prosperity, as the fastest growing city in Scotland and an increasingly popular destination to come and live, work and visit. Much of that is because of the remarkable service that Lothian Buses delivers.
As a child of Edinburgh and as somebody who was around at the time that this amazing service was created, I have been using Lothian Buses since I was a bairn. I remember when the fare was in pence rather than pounds. Sometimes, trying to find the change in your pocket was a wee bit difficult, so I am glad that we have got past those points. I thank all the drivers who were gracious enough to let me off with a penny or two now and again over the years, as I went back and forth from football or whatever.
The service is amazing. Depending on where people live in the city, they almost do not need a car. Like many citizens of Edinburgh, I do not own a car. In many instances, people do not need a car when they have such a good bus service. However, we must not take the service for granted. I think about that a lot when I walk past the Annandale Street depot, as I do very often. When I see the drivers going back and forth, I often wonder which number of bus they are going to drive and where their day will take them.
The sheer number of remarkable people who are employed in all aspects of the service and what they have delivered for many years should absolutely be celebrated. That is particularly the case this year, and not just because of the anniversary. This summer, when there was a fire on Princes Street and the trams stopped running, as services were mobilising to try to deal with that as best they could, the one that stepped up and acted first was Lothian Buses. Let us remember that a festival happens in the city every summer, and that it is an event that is nearly as big as the world cup. Lothian Buses makes that happen in many ways. It is a key player every year and, particularly this year, its contribution was absolutely remarkable. We all owe Lothian Buses and every driver and other member of staff who helped in that situation for saving the day.
A lot has been said about how remarkable the municipal model is, how we must learn from it, and how it can be used as an inspiration and a way to adapt services elsewhere in the country. One thing that has not been mentioned is that Lothian Buses is accountable to the democracy, just as Scottish Water is. Just as private water companies are so unaccountable in England, some bus services elsewhere in Scotland are very unaccountable to the democracy. What is great about Lothian Buses is that it is a partner, and we can have discussions about increasing services, subsidising services and trying to fill gaps—it works together with elected representatives.
I am delighted with the exchange that I had with the cabinet secretary in recent days and that a visit is programmed for early in the new year. I know that Lothian Buses will be delighted to welcome the cabinet secretary to the Annandale Street depot and its headquarters to discuss more about what it has achieved, the challenges going forward and how its inspirational example and model can be used to help improve services for all of Scotland.
18:19
Ben Macpherson is absolutely right that, when you are the last speaker in a debate, it is difficult to find more to contribute, but I will try my best. I thank Daniel Johnson for bringing the motion to the chamber. It is on an incredibly important topic and it is right that, as a Parliament, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Lothian Buses and everyone who has been involved in it. I will come back to that in due course.
I will start by saying something that probably sums up what Monica Lennon was getting at. Those of us who live elsewhere in Scotland are a little jealous of Lothian Buses. I am fortunate to have a relatively good bus service on my doorstep, but I am conscious that that is not true for many people across Scotland. It is safe to say that there is envy at the success that has been delivered in Edinburgh. When we are in Edinburgh, that success is on all of our doorsteps every day of the week. All it takes is a two-minute walk to see Lothian Buses, one after another, flowing down the street, taking people in the city to all the wonderful places that they want to go to.
I say to Lorna Slater that I have never been to an aerial circus, so she will have to educate me on exactly what that is, but it sounds incredibly interesting, to say the least. I am sure that members would like to go along one night and try it out. [Interruption.]
Mr Simpson apparently wants us all to go together, but I will have to decline that particular invite.
Lorna Slater’s contribution was important, because it brought together the key aspect of the debate and discussion, which is that, ultimately, buses are a crucial part of the fabric of daily life. From going to the shops to going to see friends to going to hospital appointments, the fabric of our day-to-day living is often determined by our transport, and buses have a crucial role in that. That has weighed heavily on me in my short stint in office, and it is something that we are taking action on.
I am pleased that, in recent weeks, we have had multiple debates on buses and that there have been multiple opportunities for members to question me and others on the issue. We have set out our determination to improve things for people right across Scotland so that they can have a service akin to that which is experienced in Edinburgh. We want to simplify the panel process for franchising to ensure that it is significantly quicker and to legislate to introduce minimum service requirements. There is broad consensus across the chamber on those points, although I do not think that that stretches quite as far as the Conservative Party, which is a little disappointing. However, I am sure that, in time, I will be able to convince Mr Briggs and his colleagues of the merits of that.
Can the cabinet secretary provide reassurance to my constituents and those who are campaigning with the better buses national coalition that the development of the better buses legislation that he is driving forward will not slow down the work that SPT is doing to bring the bus network in Strathclyde region under public control? As he knows, there have been many delays already.
I can provide that reassurance. In fact, the steps that I want to take through legislation next year should speed up that process and mean that we can get outcomes for the people whom Monica Lennon represents even more quickly. I look forward to her support as we take that forward, which I am sure we will definitely receive.
As well as talking about the actions on franchising, this is an important opportunity for me to remind members of the many other things that we have been doing in relation to our buses. There are 2.4 million people who now have access to a concessionary card, whether that is our older or disabled person’s pass or our pass for young people. The £2 fare cap now applies to 60 per cent of the country and 50 per cent of the population. We provide £46 million through the network support grant to ensure that our buses can continue to run, and we have had to provide a £6 million to £7 million uplift to respond to the global fuel shocks. There are also the tens of millions of pounds that we have put into infrastructure and the hundreds of millions of pounds that we have put into electrifying the network.
[Made a request to intervene.]
The Government has a proud record of support for our bus services and network. We want to do more, because I recognise that more is required, which I think is the point that Mr Johnson is about to make.
The cabinet secretary has anticipated my intervention. Those things are worth celebrating, but the key point is that, ultimately, in most cases, although that subsidy is widening access, it is going into private hands. With Lothian Buses, the benefit is retained in the public interest and is used to build public assets. Does he acknowledge that? Does he accept that we must protect Lothian Buses and ensure that any requirements that we put in place on franchising do not undermine the Lothian Buses model?
Yes and yes. Mr Johnson and I are in full agreement on those topics.
I thank members for some of the other contributions that have been made, and I will reflect on them. I look forward to visiting Lothian Buses with Mr Macpherson in the weeks ahead. However, I will conclude by using the final words in the debate not to speak about the political contributions or the actions that the Government has taken, but to speak about the workers of Lothian Buses. Ultimately, what lies behind any successful company are the people in it—the people who, each and every day, get up to knock their pan in to deliver for the public. Each and every one of them should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved and been part of over so many years.
I thank them for everything that they have done, and for everything that I know they will continue to do in the years ahead. I look forward to seeing their success celebrated, not just in the Parliament in the years to come, but across the rest of the UK, because they are part of a model that is looked on with envy by many people, and rightly so. I thank them for everything that they have done and wish them good luck for the future.
Meeting closed at 18:26.
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