Bus fares capped at £2 across west Scotland

Bus fares in the west of Scotland are now capped at £2 a journey.

From Monday, bus passengers will see the price freeze on tickets across Glasgow, Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire.

The capped fare aims to make public transport “more affordable for communities across much of the west of Scotland”, the Scottish government said.

A successful pilot rollout of £2 tickets across the Scottish Highlands and Islands was introduced in March.

First Minister John Swinney said: “The cost of living remains one of the biggest challenges facing households across Scotland, so making public transport more affordable is all the more important.

“The launch of the £2 Bus Fare Cap across Strathclyde means that more people can get where they need to go with more money in their pocket – that is clear action to help people save money during a cost of living crisis.”

Strathclyde covers a “significant proportion of Scotland's population”, said the government.

Holyrood plans to move forward with legislation that could introduce a fare cap across all of Scotland, although this timeline has not been finalised.

According to Transport for Scotland, if your journey starts and ends within the fare cap area, you pay no more than £2 for an eligible single journey.

However, a separate fare will apply each time you change buses, even when operated by the same company.

Andy Cullen, regional director of First Bus in Scotland, said: “We will continue to work in partnership with the government to ensure the £2 fare cap is a success and reinforces the important role of buses in keeping people, families and communities connected to jobs, education, training, healthcare and leisure.”

In July, Andy Burnham announced that most bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January, as part of wider policies aimed at tackling the cost of living.

The prime minister announced that he will slash the price of a single bus ticket from January 1 until the end of 2027 by a third.

Currently, the nationwide cap on single bus fares is set at £3 until the end of March 2027, although some areas – including London and Greater Manchester – have lower top rates for single tickets.

Read more: Andy Burnham announces new £2 bus fare cap across England