On 13th January the Scottish Government published its 2026/27 budget proposals.
Under revenue, £528.3m was announced for Concessionary Fares and Bus Services in 2026/27.
As EBUG often has to point out, free bus travel is a personal benefit, like prescriptions, not an investment in buses. Operators are reimbursed at an annually adjusted rate, currently some 55p in the £. The legislation requires that they be neither better nor worse off for participating in the scheme. Scottish Government documents invariably suggest the scheme subsidises buses. It does not, but we have to live with this spin.
Under capital, the budget documents include £226m for ’active travel and bus infrastructure’. The budget documents give few details. However, in the days after the announcement, it emerged that £60m is allocated to bus priority and allied measures in 2026/27.
This may be an initial instalment of the £1.3bn+ for ‘active travel & bus infrastructure, (etc)’ in the ‘Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline’ stretching to 2030, which was published with the Budget papers.
Transform Scotland provided a commentary on the budget and buses https://transform.scot/2026/01/14/making-the-60m-bus-infrastructure-fund-deliver-for-passengers/ and a separate one on the budget and transport more generally https://transform.scot/2026/01/13/jets-buses-and-roads-our-top-3-takeaways-from-the-scottish-budget/ .
EBUG has been highly critical of the Scottish Government for axing the former Bus Partnership Fund. We are happy to applaud the restoration of serious money for bus infrastructure. It’s now up to:
- Councils like Edinburgh to start implementing the schemes they have in the pipeline
- Transport Scotland to reduce hurdles Councils face in making use of the funds