On Saturday 17 October, First Minister John Swinney announced to the SNP conference during his keynote speech that the bus network would be bought under public control by 2031 through franchising and regulation.
During the speech, Swinney highlighted the government’s aims and told party members that “we need more buses and we need more frequent buses… It’s good for commuters, and it’s good for the climate.”
In order to achieve this, Swinney intends to allow regional transport partnerships to have control over the routes and fares of bus networks without the Scottish government having to directly own it.
This comes in stark contrast to the previous deregulation of the bus network in the 1980s, with the Transport Act (Scotland) 2019 enabling local authorities to provide and franchise bus services.
Recent legislation empowering local authorities to take control of buses has led to a wave of franchising, encouraged by Westminster, in areas such as Strathclyde, Liverpool, and parts of Yorkshire.
However, McGill’s Group, who are the largest independent bus operator in Scotland, have compared Swinney to a “dictator,” and accused him of “business confiscation” over plans to take services under public control.
The Confederation of Passenger Services (CPT) have also criticised the plan, calling for “an urgent meeting” with Swinney in order to explain precisely what these plans will mean in practice. Paul White, director of CPT, states that “fundamental questions remain about what the Government is proposing and how it intends to deliver it.”
Recent scrutiny has piled pressure on Swinney to lay out further details on taking back control of buses; the government must figure out how to achieve franchising through legal avenues and within the annual budget.
Image by Isabel Beiboer for The Student
