Three further bus partnerships in Scotland have been founded after the Scottish Government allocated over £800,000 to support them. The Argyll and Bute Bus Partnership, the Midlothian Bus Alliance and the West Lothian Bus Alliance join eight other bus partnerships involving 28 local authorities (LAs) in Scotland.
Support is provided through the Bus Partnership Fund. The work sees LAs and operators come together to implement priority measures, while also leveraging investment in other areas to improve the attractiveness of bus travel.
Says recently-appointed Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth (pictured): “I am pleased that these three new bus partnerships are making plans to improve services and have won funding through out flagship Bus Partnership Fund.
“We have invested heavily to keep buses running during the pandemic – but we need to go further to put buses at the heart of our green recovery, helping to tackle inequalities and to keep Scotland moving.
“We are incentivising bus [use] through the provision of free bus travel to under-22s. We are also supporting bus operators to transition to modern zero-emission vehicles. The next step is to unshackle our buses from the congestion on our roads and provide those quicker, more reliable journeys that will ensure more people make the choice of bus over car.”
The Bus Partnership Fund will deliver over £500m to targeted bus priority measures in Scotland. It forms part of the Scottish Government’s response to the climate emergency.
