Bus firms awarded £46.7m of extra funding

Bus operators will be able to increase their services during the next eight weeks after the Scottish Government made £46.7 million of further funding available.

It will cover any loss of fare-paying passenger revenue anticipated because of the physical distancing measures and reduced capacity on vehicles due to coronavirus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Thursday that Scotland is moving to phase two in the Scottish Government’s routemap out of lockdown, meaning more people may be looking to travel.

The additional money comes after £34.3m was already provided to bus operators, with bus travel typically accounting for just under three-quarters of all public transport journeys in Scotland.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “We have already been maintaining the value of concessionary travel and Bus Service Operators Grant payments at the levels forecast before the crisis.

“So far, £34.3m has been provided across 155 operators – but I know that physical distancing will impact fare-paying passenger revenues significantly.

“Communities rely on bus services and this additional funding of £46.7m seeks to serve the anticipated travel needs of those communities, while keeping them safe by enabling physical distancing in these unprecedented times.”

All bus operators are eligible to opt in for the funding and will continue to focus on lifeline and key routes where demand is high.

Face masks will become mandatory on public transport from Monday.