‘Sharp cuts’ in Scottish bus services feared if Covid recovery cash is axed

West Coast Motors, which also runs Borders Buses, said axing the funding would put extra pressure on the viability of rural services. Picture: Bill McBurnie

Bus service cuts and fare increases affecting far more people than ScotRail’s reduced timetable are threatened by the expected axing of Scottish Government Covid recovery funding, industry chiefs have told The Scotsman.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), which represents operators, said it believed £40 million of support to help them cover lost revenue this year following the Covid pandemic would end at the end of July, earlier than expected.

The axing of the Network Support Grant Plus would come despite passenger numbers remaining 25 per cent below pre-Covid levels.

One bus firm said it could lead to evening, Sunday or even entire routes being scrapped.

Another industry source said operators might also be forced to raise fares.

Transport Scotland is understood to have accepted that its funding is keeping many marginal bus services running, and ending it would be likely to trigger “sharp cuts”, particularly in rural areas and islands.

First Bus, one of Scotland’s biggest operators, has told the Scottish Government agency it might need to cut services by 20 per cent and close some depots.

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CPT said it hoped any service reductions would not be as severe as ScotRail axing one third of its timetable because of the drivers’ dispute.

But it said even a much smaller cut would hit more travellers as buses carry more than three times as many people as trains.

CPT Scotland director Paul White said: “We have witnessed the huge disruption caused by ScotRail’s service cuts.

"While I would hope any reductions in the bus network would not be to that scale, it is worth noting that bus accounts for three quarters of all public transport trips.

"A smaller percentage of bus cuts could still result in many more people being affected.

“Bus operators are focused on maintaining the bus network and encouraging people back onto bus.

"Driver shortages, rising costs and the winding down of government support that mitigates the impact of Covid all make this increasingly difficult.

"If these barriers to operation remain unresolved as government support ends, then I am concerned about potential service reductions.

"My hope remains that government finds a way to support the bus network from the impact of Covid, as it does rail, until the autumn when we will potentially see a greater bounce back of passengers as universities and commuters return, and we can focus once more on growing public transport use rather than losing passengers to service reductions that we may never win back.”

One industry source said: “I don't want to scaremonger but I have legitimate concerns we're trying to meet a series of policy aims around modal shift [cutting car use] and decarbonisation while we potentially see both bus and rail struggling due to the impact of Covid, driver shortages and a lack of national support. We're destined to fail.

“We’ll do all we can to minimise fares increases and service cuts