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Letter to Stephen Flynn MSP about £2 Bus Cap

  • Aug 27
  • 2 min read

Stephen Flynn MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport

Scottish Government

St Andrews House

Regent Road

Edinburgh

EH1 3DG


Sent via email


Dear Stephen,


Pledge to extend £2 bus fare cap to the West Coast of Scotland within 100 days of Government


As Ayrshire's MPs, we were delighted when the First Minster in a speech before the 2026 Scottish election stated, “within the first one hundred days, we will extend the £2 bus fare cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde.” Across our constituencies, particularly in rural villages, these bus links are often our constituents' only means of getting to work, the shops, and everyday activities.


As we mark 100 days since the Scottish Government Cabinet was appointed, we are disappointed that the First Minister has not kept this pledge, and our constituents are still waiting for the introduction of the £2 fare cap.


For the sake of our constituents in communities such as Maybole, Tarbolton, Dunlop and Largs, many of whom have told us they are disadvantaged by the cost of travel, we are seeking clarity on this policy:

  1. Can you confirm the revised timetable for the rollout of the fare cap in Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde, now that the original target date has been missed?

  2. Can you explain the reasons for the delay? The UK Labour Government announced England's national £3 bus fare cap on 28 October 2024, and it was implemented on 1 January 2025, a period of just 65 days.

  3. Labour has also announced that England's national fare cap will be reduced to £2 from 1 January 2027. Can you confirm whether the Scottish scheme will be rolled out nationwide, ensuring that passengers in Scotland are not disadvantaged compared with those in England?

  4. You have recently suggested that the pledge was merely to "make progress" on expanding the fare cap. This appears to contradict the First Minister's previous commitment. Can you explain this change in position?


We look forward to your reply.

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