Bus passengers in Orkney are now paying no more than £2 for a single journey after a new Scottish Government fare cap pilot launched across the islands on 9th of March.
The year long trial aims to make bus travel cheaper and easier while encouraging more people to use public transport across rural and island communities.
The initiative places a maximum £2 cap on single adult bus fares, with transport operators reimbursed by Transport Scotland so services can continue to operate normally during the pilot.
The programme had already been introduced in other parts of the Highlands and Islands after first launching in Shetland on 30th of January and in the Western Isles on 23rd of February.
Further expansion will see the fare cap introduced across Highland, Moray and Argyll and Bute from 23rd of March as the pilot continues to roll out across the wider region.
The Scottish Government is delivering the project through a £10 million investment in partnership with the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership and Shetland’s transport body ZetTrans.
Officials say the pilot is particularly important for rural and island areas where journeys are often longer and the cost of travel can be significantly higher than in urban parts of Scotland.
Reducing the price of bus journeys is expected to help ease financial pressure for many households while also improving access to jobs, education, healthcare and essential services.
Lower fares are also intended to encourage more people to choose buses over cars, supporting existing transport networks and strengthening the long term sustainability of local services.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:
“It’s great to see that the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot is now live in Orkney, following the earlier launches in Shetland and the Western Isles.
“This means that, for the duration of the pilot, no one will pay more than £2 for a bus journey in Orkney, the Western Isles or Shetland.
“The pilot delivers on a key Scottish Government Budget commitment and aims to make bus travel more affordable, improve access for low income communities, and support sustainable travel for people across the HiTrans and ZetTrans regions.
“With the pilot now live across Orkney, the Western Isles and Shetland, it is already helping to make everyday travel simpler and cheaper while supporting more people to choose sustainable transport.
“I look forward to seeing the positive impact it brings for local communities and the wider region as the pilot continues.”
Ranald Robertson, Partnership Director for HITRANS, said:
“The fare cap pilot could have major benefits for the Highlands and Islands.
“It will improve the affordability and accessibility of bus travel, with the expected increased use of public transport helping to make services more sustainable.”
Kristopher Leask, Orkney Islands Council councillor and HITRANS board member, said:
“I’m delighted to see the bus fare cap launch in the Highlands and Islands, and Orkney specifically.
“Buses are first and foremost public services, making amenities and travel accessible to our community.
“The bus fare cap proposed by HITRANS and secured by Scottish Green MSP’s with the Scottish Government is a step in the right direction.
“Bus services should be run for the public interest and accessible to all, this pilot is the start of wider reform that we at HITRANS are working towards.
“I look forward to hearing from our community what their experiences of the pilot are and continuing our nationally leading increases in bus user numbers here in Orkney.”
The pilot will run for one year, with the results expected to help inform future decisions on bus fares and public transport support across Scotland’s rural and island regions.
