In September, we began to engage with the political parties who are likely to contest the 2026 Holyrood election. We sent them a list of proposals that we would hope to see in their manifestos. EBUG members are encouraged to amplify our asks below by contacting their own MSPs and candidates pushing for these policies:
- RESTORE THE BUS PARTNERSHIP FUND
To improve travel times and reliability, more bus priority highway infrastructure is needed. The Bus Partnership Fund was the most significant Scottish Government scheme to do so, but was closed in 2024 with less than £30 million of a £500 million fund spent. It is even worse that much of that £30m was spent on project development, which would bear fruit only if work on the ground was completed. The Bus Infrastructure Fund (BIF which replaced it has, to date, allocated £20 million. At that rate, it would take 25 years to spend an equivalent amount.
Our ask: to make a real difference to climate goals and economic development allocate £450 million (£500m minus £30m already spent and £20m via BIF) over 5 years (the duration of the new Parliament) to a rebooted Bus Partnership Fund - CONCESSIONARY FARES
Retain the current under-22s/over-60s/disabled schemes. Extend the scheme to include travel on Edinburgh Trams and Glasgow Subway. NEC card holders living outside Scotland’s two largest cities cannot use them on these services (add-on funding by local Councils provides free travel to Glasgow/Edinburgh residents only). Edinburgh Trams and Glasgow Subway are part of local transport networks in the same way as buses. Currently, card holders from the rest of Scotland can travel to and within Edinburgh and Glasgow by bus, but not by Tram or Subway.
In the absence of any prospect of National Integrated Ticketing in the next 10 years, removing this anomaly would provide a degree of progress.
Our ask: phase in such an expanded concessionary scheme over the next 5 years (duration of the new Parliament) with modest cost implications.. - ESTABLISH A ‘BUS SERVICE STANDARD’; INCLUDING A ‘BUS STOP GUARANTEE’
The availability and quality of bus services and stops varies widely across Scotland, as set out in this report by Transform. National minimum standards would deliver equity and assurance to passengers. While this does not mean identical provision across Scotland, suitable frameworks could be established for Urban /Semi-Urban / Rural areas. At bus stops, this would include seating, lighting, maintenance and service information standards.
Our ask: establish a standard over 3 years followed by long-term implementation. Costs: minimal. - BUS LANE ENFORCEMENT
Review what legislative improvements are required to enforce bus priority measures. Put in place the steps needed to allow the use of on-bus enforcement cameras.
Our ask: progress on-bus camera enforcement approval and issue guidance to local authorities within 12 months. Costs: minimal (and ongoing self-financing through fines).
In October, we contacted City Centre ward Councillors, and through them the Department responsible for bus lanes, urging consistent application of red coloured surfacing when resurfacing projects take place in bus lanes. This was prompted by a number of instances where it had not. We were able to get confirmation that this should be standard practice. Please alert us if you see where this is not the case.
There should be some improvement to bus shelter cleaning, with JC Decaux taking more of the work in-house, and arrangements for a Council task force to tackle particularly stubborn graffiti.
And finally, EBUG has been awarded another £2,000 grant by the Foundation for Integrated Transport. This will cover our running costs for the next 5 years. Coming a month after our AGM which put our constitution on a firmer footing, we’re well placed for the rest of the 2020s!