The CPT Scotland Conference saw coach and bus industry needs in the nation aired via a pre-election manifesto, writes Paul White, CPT Scotland Director
For this year’s Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Scotland Conference, we chose a theme of “Shaping the Future”. Decisions we make now are crucial for tomorrow’s public transport, and for a healthy outlook for coach and bus.
As CPT Scotland Director, I was delighted to welcome over 150 operator and supplier members, government representatives and other key coach and bus industry stakeholders to Edinburgh last month for our 47th annual conference, chaired by CPT Scottish Council Chair Sarah Boyd of Lothian Group.
It provided the perfect opportunity to launch our 2026 Scottish Parliament Election Manifesto, with Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie receiving a copy ahead of his conference address. Its five key asks are:
- Tackle congestion to improve journey times.
- Support rural coach and bus.
- Continue the journey to greener coach and bus.
- Review bus funding in Scotland.
- Ensure passenger and staff safety.
These will be the golden thread that runs through CPT Scotland’s activity to the election and beyond.
To support our ask for action on bus speeds, CPT Scotland commissioned research to demonstrate the difference that speeds make to the service provision costs as well as enhancing the industry’s contribution to national GDP.
The Role of Speed in Scotland’s Bus Network was launched at conference. Author Chris Cheek presented his findings, including a conclusion that improving bus speeds by just 8% could lift the industry’s contribution to the Scottish economy by £565 million a year.
Higher speeds would also assist with meeting the government’s air quality targets, improving industry viability, and funding investment in zero-emission buses.
Conference business sessions covered issues central to our manifesto and critical to our members, including models of ownership and operation, sustainable coach tourism, and Edinburgh’s visitor economy. We also explored the role of AI within traffic control systems, how best to support rural coach and bus, and how the sector can better engage with young people both as customers and potential employees.
Minister Jim Fairlie stated that what is good for bus is good for Scotland’s towns and cities
We were pleased to be joined by Professor Sir John Curtice to hear about the sentiments of Scottish voters as we edge closer to the 2026 Scottish elections, and from Mr Fairlie, who noted that bus is a key enabler to the First Minister’s four priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and ensuring high quality, sustainable public services.
The Minister acknowledged the wider social and economic benefits associated with bus. He stated that what is good for bus is good for Scotland’s towns and cities, and hailed the strong relationship that he has with CPT as the voice of the sector.
Alongside business sessions, the conference provides a valuable opportunity to network and socialise. Thank you to Ian Jones, who was in equal parts inspiring and humorous as our after-dinner entertainment, and to Katherine Crawford, Chief Executive of our charity partner Age Scotland. We are pleased to have raised £1,692 for Age Scotland over the course of the night.
Our conference simply would not take place without support from our supplier members, and it would be remiss of me not to give special thanks to our conference partners, sponsors and supporters.
CPT Scotland Conference will return in 2026 with date and venue to be confirmed. We look forward to welcoming back delegates from this year and opening it up to new faces too.
If you would like further information on this year’s event or potential sponsorship opportunities for 2026, please contact the CPT Scotland team. If you would like to hear more about our policy positions in Scotland, our Scottish manifesto and Mr Cheek’s research on bus speeds are available on the CPT website.
