The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Scotland has reiterated the need for a multi-year funding settlement to support the Scottish Bus Infrastructure Fund (BIF) amid ongoing criticism around a perceived lack of progress on priority schemes.
That worry comes despite a trebling of the size of last year’s fund, with a commitment by the Scottish Government of £60 million announced in the FY2026-27 Budget.
Concerns flared at the start of the year after Stagecoach South Scotland announced the closure of its Cumbernauld depot. The operator cited falling traffic speeds and “lack of progress” on bus priority measures among influences on its decision. One operator took to social media to describe the closure of the Cumbernauld depot as the “tip of the iceberg”.
But Paul White, Director at CPT Scotland, urges patience as the funding begins to deliver. He notes that while £20 million was allocated in last year’s Budget to the BIF, not enough time has yet passed for those outlying projects to bear fruit. CPT Scotland is actively involved in their evaluation, and he says many of the projects are now in the design and construction phase.
“Congestion remains a key issue for the bus industry not just in Scotland but across the UK. In Scotland it’s the first ask in our manifesto,” he notes.
Cause for confidence?
Mr White urges faith in the scheme moving forward, arguing that a redesign of how funding will be allocated this year demonstrates a degree of confidence that bids will deliver real improvement.
The BIF followed the end of the Bus Partnership Fund (BPF) in 2024, which closed with only £26.9 million spent — largely on consultancy work — despite an earlier pledge of over £500 million.
The BPF faced further criticism around how funding was allocated through its two-tier system. One operator, which wished to remain anonymous, raised concerns about its local authority, which did not put in a bid to the BIF on the basis of it being too time-consuming — despite the operator warning many times of worsening congestion.
The latest round of BIF is set to see the £60 million pot allocated more evenly across Scottish local authorities.
“In comparison to the Bus Partnership Fund, last year’s £20 million allocation was a step up,” Mr White says. “And the decision to increase the budget in the following year, at a time when the Scottish Government is facing financial constraints, demonstrates Transport Scotland is confident that bids are waiting that did not gain funding last year, and will deliver.”
Calls for multi-year settlement
But Mr White cautions that there is still no guarantee of funding beyond this year’s allocation. CPT Scotland is therefore continuing calls for a multi-year funding settlement.
“There is still no guarantee of a BIF beyond this year’s scheme. We appreciate that the Scottish Network Support Grant is renewed on an annual basis, and that concessionary reimbursement is reviewed annually. There is a lot of evidence of bus in support. But there are aspects relating to improving bus speeds or maintaining services and keeping fares low that we would like to see more certainty to, delivered over a number of years.
“That would allow operators to take a more long-term look at the services they deliver and the investment in zero-emission vehicles to meet the ambitions of the Scottish Government. A multi-year funding deal would allow operators the headspace to take a macro look at investment over the coming years.”
Transport Scotland provides clarity on aims
A Transport Scotland spokesperson says the £20 million through the Bus Infrastructure Fund in FY2025-26 is already delivering improvements on the ground for passengers and will soon contribute to the development of more ambitious schemes.
It cites a bus gate in West Edinburgh, bus priority at a number of traffic signals in Glasgow and Midlothian, and the expansion of real-time passenger information in Falkirk, Dunfermline, Clackmannanshire, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Shetland.
“One of the key aims of the BIF is to ensure collaborative working between regional transport partnerships, local authorities, bus operators, and other key stakeholders,” they add.
“Major corridors such as Pollokshaws Road and Paisley Road West in Glasgow, Arbroath Road and Lochee Road in Dundee, Dunkeld Road in Perth, Millburn Road in Inverness and strategic routes across Edinburgh are being redesigned to reduce the impact of congestion for bus passengers by making bus journey times shorter and more reliable.
“These corridor programmes are fundamental to cutting bus journey times, supporting modal shift, and represent transformational bus infrastructure investment.”
Transport Scotland says the further funding of £60 million for the BIF will continue this progress and bring even more improvements for passengers.
