Question reference: S6W-03225
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 22 September 2021
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 October 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact introducing free bus travel for under-22s will have on bus operators, and whether any subsequent fare pressure will lead to 23- to 59-year-old passengers paying more.
Answer
It is an objective of the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Young Persons that bus operators are reimbursed for the costs of carrying concessionary passengers so as to leave them no better and no worse off through their participation in the Scheme. This objective should mean that there are not subsequent fare pressures on fare paying passengers as a result of the scheme.
We have worked with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to arrive at the reimbursement rates for the Scheme which seek to deliver this objective.
The new Scheme will be monitored closely in order to identify any significant adverse financial impacts, generally or for individual operators or groups of bus operators.