Make bus travel free for all
The Scottish Government should aim to make buses free for all. This would both help reduce emissions, and tackle poverty and inequality.
Any attempt to meet our climate change goals must involve bold action to reduce private car use and drastically increase the number of journeys taken by public transport. It must also be recognised that over seventy-five percent of public transport journeys are made by bus, and that buses are an especially vital form of travel for those living in low-income areas.
Over 100 cities, more than half of them in Europe, have made their public transport free and all public transport has been free in the (small) country of Luxembourg since early 2020. Behavioural research confirms the effectiveness of free public transport in changing habits. In Scotland, data shows that since the introduction of the concessionary bus travel scheme for under 22’s, over 50 million journeys have been made by young people under the scheme. It is clear that when cost is removed as a barrier, people use public transport and this consideration should be central in changing behaviour regarding transport. Reducing car traffic also reduces congestion, which boosts local economies, improves air quality and makes bus travel even more attractive.
As well as reducing carbon emissions, free bus travel has benefits for other policy areas. It supports increased access to job and educational opportunities, boosts the local economy through more expendable household income, and tackles isolation and loneliness leading to better mental health outcomes. For people living on low incomes, who rely heavily on bus services, these things can be harder won, and they stand to gain significantly from making our transport system more equitable as well as greener. In terms of wider government goals, free public transport will work towards reaching the child poverty targets.
An equitable transport system would tackle inequality. The gendered division of household labour and caring responsibilities means that women make more encumbered care-related journeys that may require multiple stops. Yet men are more likely to have a driving licence and less likely to live in a house without a car. A more gender-just transport system would move away from design around a default white, able-bodied, middle class male user, which can exacerbate inequality. Instead, it should enable a diversity of journeys, including care-related trips which are disproportionately taken by women using buses.
This policy would directly address the cost of living crisis for many, as well as improving air quality and health. The Scottish Government Net Zero Nation campaign estimated that replacing car journeys with bus journeys can help reduce CO2 emissions by 42%.
This of course must be coupled with tackling availability and accessibility, particularly in rural communities. A key principle would be to make sure of a quality service for the user, with the frequency and comprehensive coverage of the system maintained and improved compared to today.
Regarding cost, currently 63% of bus operator revenues in Scotland in 2022/23 came from public funding through concessionary travel reimbursement, Bus Service Operators Grant or supported services.
Taking the 2022/23 level of subsidy as a basis for calculating the total investment needed to cover all operator revenue, gives a figure of just over £745m to cover total existing revenue. That represents an increase of £275m on the existing spend of £470m. By comparison the Scottish Government budget line for rail in 2022/23 is £1,396.9m and for motorways and trunk roads it is £855.8m. It is of course important to note that these costs will increase with increased usage (which free bus travel would incentivise) however these costs are used to offset revenue loss from private companies. Public ownership would change this model and its economics.
As a minimum first step, the Scottish Government should financially support free bus trials in two Scottish cities, with urgent analysis to learn lessons with a view to expanding as widely as possible, as recommended by the Just Transition Commission, and extend free bus travel across Scotland to people on low incomes, under-25s and unpaid carers.
The next step beyond free bus travel is to make all public transport in Scotland free. Beginning with bus travel we can help to lift people out of poverty and reduce our carbon footprint.
For further information:
Public Transport, Private Profit – The Human Cost of Privatizing Buses in the United Kingdom, Centre for Human Rights & Global Justice, NYU, 2021, https://chrgj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Report-Public-Transport-Private-Profit.pdf
Bus cuts across Scotland, Get Glasgow Moving, February 2023, https://www.getglasgowmoving. org/news/buscuts/
Towards Gender Inclusive and Sustainable Transport Systems, Womens’ Budget Group, 2021, https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/uk-policy-briefings/towards-gender-inclusive-and-sustainabletransport-systems/
Government urged to make buses free to all by 2025 in net zero blueprint, Energy Live News, 2021, https://www.energylivenews.com/2021/07/14/government-urged-to-make-buses-free-to-all-by-2025-in-net-zero-blueprint/
Everyone Aboard! Campaign page, Poverty Alliance, 2023, https://www.povertyalliance.org/ campaigns-projects/everyone-aboard/
Glaswegians call for free public transport, FoE Scotland, 2021, https://foe.scot/press-release/ glaswegians-call-for-free-public-transport/
Access to bus services, Transform Scotland, May 2023, https://transform.scot/wp-content/ uploads/2023/05/2023-05-16-Access-to-Bus-Services-debate-Transform-Scotland-briefing-paper.pdf
