Scottish Green MSP calls for buses to be brought back into public hands
A Holyrood politician from Forres is calling for reform of Scotland’s bus network.
Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Ariane Burgess, cites the successes of her party’s policies which have already reduced fares on public transport and delivered free bus travel to all young people under 22.
She said: “Everyone should be able to enjoy affordable, reliable, and accessible public transport but too often we are being failed by an overpriced and fragmented bus system.
“We need to bring our buses back into public hands – run for the public good, not private profit.”
Scotland is the only country in the UK to offer free nationwide bus travel to everyone under 22; a policy secured by the Scottish Greens.
Since the scheme began, over 225 million free bus journeys have been taken by young people across the country, with 1,880,556 journeys recorded in Moray alone. A total of 12,049 young people from Moray are now able to travel for free by bus across Scotland.
Despite this progress, many communities continue to face unreliable, expensive, and patchy bus services, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Services are often determined by profitability rather than public need, leaving too many people without viable transport options.
Private operators continue to receive generous public subsidies, while cutting vital routes, raising fares, and leaving passengers without a reliable service.
Ariane argues the current model is failing and that public control and ownership of bus services is essential to reversing the decline of local transport networks, increasing accessibility, and reducing fares.
She said: “The free travel scheme shows the power of public policy to reduce car use and tackle inequality but we need buses that serve our whole community.
“Franchising means we can cap fares, protect routes and build a bus system that works for people - not profit margins.”
Ms Burgess pointed out that public ownership works.
She said: “Lothian Buses, Scotland’s only publicly owned major bus operator, has delivered reliable service and returned £36 million in dividends to the City of Edinburgh and its partner councils over the last decade. That’s money reinvested in public services, not handed to shareholders.
“We have the opportunity to lead the way on transport justice, decarbonisation, and local empowerment. Publicly controlled buses are a crucial part of that vision.”