The Scottish government has approved additional expenditure of £46.7m to support bus operators in increasing bus services over the next eight weeks.
Bus travel accounts for just under three quarters of all public transport journeys, according to Transport Scotland, and this funding is to cover the anticipated loss of fare-paying passenger revenue that operators will experience due to physical distancing and reduced carrying capacity, at a time where more people may be travelling.
As more lockdown restrictions are lifted as part of Phase 2, passengers, major employers, business organisations and the public are being asked to play their part in ensuring Scotland’s currently reduced public transport network can continue to manage demand effectively.
Cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, 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 this is a difficult time for our bus industry and 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.”
As more lockdown restrictions are eased in Scotland, analysis shows that up to 55% of employees could be travelling to their normal workplace, a rise from 30% in full lockdown.
According to Matheson, this could result in an increase in the number of passengers on public transport by around by a third from current levels of 225,000 per day.
“As a result of physical distancing measures public transport is operating at around 10-20% of normal capacity at this time,” said Matheson.
Paul White, director for the Confederation of Passenger Transport in Scotland, welcomed the Scottish government’s additional support for the country’s bus network.
“This funding is designed to cover the costs associated with the running of an increased network, but with significantly reduced capacity, until passenger numbers are able to return to normal levels,” said White
“We will continue working with passengers, businesses and local authorities to provide a safe, flexible bus network that allows those who need it to make their essential journeys.”
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