That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Trades Unions Congress's (STUC) new report, The Next Stop: The Case for Publicly Owned Buses in Scotland, which explores the current private-ownership model of local bus services, and the potential benefits of, and route to, public ownership of local bus services in Scotland; notes that, according to the report, whilst private bus operators have experienced annual revenue increases, their viability is dependent on public subsidy, with £439 million, or 58%, of private bus operators’ 2023-24 revenue stemming from government subsidies; further notes that the report also highlights that, despite this public subsidy, there has been a reduction in the size of the bus network, and that the frequency of services has also reduced; believes that, according to the report, moving local buses into public ownership will likely have a positive impact for local communities by servicing local socially necessary routes; notes the view, according to the report, that transition to publicly owned and operated bus services cannot be achieved without a reform of current bus market regulation, including effective franchising, to reduce the monopoly power of private operators, and calls on the Scottish Government to commit to supporting local authority bus franchising.