Invest in Public Transport
Scotland has a transport system that locks in inequities, forcing the poorest in society to rely on poor services or costly and carbon-intensive forms of transport.
While the scrapping of peak fares for rail travel is welcomed, this does little to address transport poverty. Those on lower incomes are 18 times more likely to take the bus, which is now less affordable, less reliable, and less frequent. Bus fares have risen 26% above inflation between 2010 and 2020, with transport costs now a significant driver of broader poverty. All while bus journeys accounted for 74% of all public transport journeys across all income groups in 2023-2024, highlighting the key role buses play in the transition to a more sustainable transport system.
Any long-term transport targets must also come paired with poverty-reducing measures, ensuring a just transition to a more equitable transport system for everyone, but especially those who need it most. A better transport system can fundamentally alleviate poverty.
Policy Proposals
Fund public, not private transport and embed this principle throughout transport policy.
Fund public, not private transport and embed this principle throughout transport policy. This also means redirecting support and subsidies for private transport – including loans for the purchase of Electric Vehicles – into public transport, with a priority placed on bus services. An Infrastructure First approach must see public transport embedded firmly into any major development going forward.
Support Local Authorities with ambitions to municipalise buses or explore franchise models.
Support Local Authorities where there are ambitions to municipalise bus services and build on models – such as franchising – that work to deliver affordable, municipally owned and led transport, as in Edinburgh with Lothian Buses. Funding for initial capital outlays should be prioritised.
Invest more in bus services, bus infrastructure, and community transport.
Invest in buses, which are used disproportionately by those in or at risk of poverty, and in Community Transport, which delivers in areas not serviced by commercial or public operators. Additionally, Community Transport Operators should be able to participate in proposed franchising models.
More Policies
- Implement the recommendations from the Mind the Gap report to improve equity, participation, access, and safety across public transport, ensuring it serves everyone in Scotland.
- Explore regulatory options to address escalating bus fares.
- Commit to a flat-fare bus pilot in both rural and urban areas.
- Expand and increase the £20 million Bus Infrastructure Fund, and specifically include requirements for community participation. Integrated ticketing measures should be added as a priority action for eligible bus infrastructure – this should be the crucial first step in the journey to a wider multi-modal ticketing system.
- Transport poverty often overlaps with digital exclusion. Improving digital connectivity not only mitigates transport poverty but acknowledges that there are still too many communities in Scotland that remain disconnected or poorly connected. This acts as a barrier to community and labour participation, prevents entrepreneurial activity, and stifles local economic growth. SURF recommends more frontline funding for libraries and community centres offering digital inclusion support, especially in remote and rural locations.