Bus Partnership Fund pause disappoints CPT

Scottish Government pledged £500m – but has spent only £26.9m

 
As recently as last October, Scotland’s minister for transport, Fiona Hyslop, told Passenger Transport that the Bus Partnership Fund was “a key area of investment”

 
Formally launched in November 2020, Scotland’s Bus Partnership Fund was hailed as a “landmark long-term capital investment of over £500m for bus priority measures”. But with the Scottish Government having “no plans” to make money available to the fund in the next financial year, there are fears over its future.

As recently as last October, Scotland’s minister for transport, Fiona Hyslop, told Passenger Transport that the Bus Partnership Fund was “a key area of investment”. However, the initiative has now been halted with only £26.9m of the £500m spent.

The largest project to have received funding saw the introduction in August 2023 of bus gates in Aberdeen. On a recent visit to the city, Hyslop saw how the new bus gates have resulted in faster and more reliable journeys for bus users. Meanwhile, major operators have reinvested the savings they have made and are offering free weekend travel across the region in January.

Representing bus operators, CPT Scotland has written to Hyslop to seek assurances on the future of the Bus Partnership Fund in 2024/25 and the Scottish Government’s long-term commitment to investing in bus priority infrastructure.

“The Bus Partnership Fund was a landmark announcement, demonstrating the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting bus and growing bus use,” said CPT Scotland director Paul White. “It could still be the catalyst for partnerships across Scotland, facilitating bus priority projects that deliver social and economic benefits, as well as contributing to wider government objectives.

Over the past four years, operators and authorities have invested heavily in developing fund bids, 17 of which are ready to commence

“Over the past four years, operators and authorities have invested heavily in developing fund bids, 17 of which are ready to commence. To pause the fund at this stage, is counter to the government’s National Transport Strategy priorities and leaves partnerships across the country in limbo, to say nothing of the impact on bus users.

“CPT will continue to press the Scottish Government to reconsider this decision, or to set out how partnerships continue productively through this financial year in the absence of any national funding support.”

 
Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s Bus Group, played a key role in securing the commitment from the Scottish Government to invest £500m in bus infrastructure. He had asked Michael Mathieson, who was then secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity for £1bn over 10 years to transform bus travel and free up buses from congestion.

Reflecting on the Bus Partnership Fund, he said: “The Scottish Government responded exceptionally well. This £500m that they provided was well targeted and would certainly have done the job had we managed to get schemes into place.

The weak link was always going to be getting local authorities to act

“The weak link was always going to be getting local authorities to act. None of this was going to please car users so wasn’t going to be a vote winner, regardless of being the right thing to do.”

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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