The Scottish Government has pledged to pay bus companies the amount of funding projected in this year's budget regardless of the number of passengers who use services.
The cash pledge, which was announced by the First Minister at a briefing on coronavirus in Edinburgh, is intended to help support companies during the outbreak.
Under the current agreement, Transport Scotland reimburses bus firms for travel under the concessionary scheme for over-60s and disabled people.
Nicola Sturgeon announced this year's funding will not be based on the true amount of travel but projections made at the beginning of the year.
According to Transport Scotland, bus operators will be able to access the £260 million available to support the concessionary scheme and bus service operator grant payments.
The difference between projections and the amount that will actually be paid to bus operators over the next four months is expected be between £46 million and £92m, Transport Scotland has said.
According to Sturgeon, concessionary travel has dropped by more than 70% since the beginning of the outbreak.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said numbers have dropped 81% in the last two weeks and are expected fall further after recent Government advice.
The First Minister said: "I will also confirm today to support these companies at this time the Scottish Government will pay them for the concessionary travel they were forecast to provide, rather than the concessionary travel that they do actually provide.
"That will deliver support worth tens of millions of pounds to bus companies at a very challenging time."
Matheson said: "We are doing everything we can to support our bus industry in this unprecedented time.
"This action will enable critical services to continue to run, helping our key workers get to their work and to carry out their essential roles across the country.
"I also recognise that our bus industry will be vital to our economic recovery – and we must take steps to protect that recovery now.
"People are changing their travel patterns to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and we've seen a real dip in public transport use across Scotland."
He added: "Over the next few months we will effectively make up the difference in concessionary travel and Bus Service Operator Grant payments.
"We will allow operators to access the £260m that we spend every year on supporting bus services, irrespective of the decline in passengers.
"This will help protect the industry, support our key workers and ultimately assist the nationwide response to the Covid-19 outbreak."
Friends of the Earth Scotland air pollution campaigner Gavin Thomson praised the measure but suggested it could go further to include covering the costs of key workers too.
He said: “Reliable public transport is key to managing this crisis and reducing our climate emissions. Government intervention will be central to achieving both these goals.
“This increased Scottish Government support recognises the key role that bus services play for critical workers, such as NHS staff. Government and industry should also be exploring whether those critical staff could be exempted from fares during this crisis.”
“Under the conditions of the lockdown, very few of us will be taking public transport at the moment and services are already being reduced. We echo the deserved praise for those public transport workers who are continuing to provide these vital public services throughout this period. Any Government support for the bus industry during this crisis, or in future, should ensure these vital workers are prioritised and protected.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel