The Scottish Government has allocated £20 million through the Bus Infrastructure Fund for FY2025/26, it has announced.
In quietly announcing the Bus Infrastructure Fund in late 2024 as a successor to the Bus Partnership Fund, the Scottish Government noted how its FY2025/26 allocation would come from active and sustainable travel.
News of the initial sum sits alongside details of a two-tier model through which the Fund will be administered. It will support local authorities (LAs) and regional transport partnerships (RTPs) working collaboratively with bus operators to design and deliver infrastructure improvements.
Tier 1 funding had been allocated based on levels of transport poverty. As a result, a higher proportion is going to more rural areas where access to affordable transport is limited, and areas of deprivation.
Via tier 2, money is being awarded to LAs and RTPs on behalf of voluntary bus partnerships that were previously undertaking work via the now-defunct Bus Partnership Fund.
The Scottish Government says that island communities and “regional equity” has been considered across both streams, ensuring that “no communities are left behind.” As projects progress, outcomes will be monitored and engagement with stakeholders will be carried out to ensure the delivery of maximum value for those communities.
Projects such as bus lanes and signal priority to accessible features and transport hubs will benefit from the investment with a focus on reducing journey times, increasing reliability, and improving integration with other modes.
Glasgow is one of the areas to benefit from the £20 million allocation. It will enable the city to move ahead with design work for two “bus corridors,” and passenger improvements on the busy Hope Street. Money will also support a pilot around how artificial intelligence can aid bus reliability through real-time traffic signal adjustments.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland and First Bus Scotland have both welcomed the Bus Infrastructure Fund allocation. Commercial Director at the operator Graeme Macfarlan notes how the work in Glasgow on traffic management “can make a real difference to bus journey times.”
Termination of the earlier Bus Partnership Fund – which was slated to see distribution of £500 million over a long-term horizon – was heavily criticised by bus operators in Scotland and their representatives. Only £20.5 million of that total was spent before suspension and eventual abandonment, a Freedom of Information response showed in late-2024.
