Bus journeys in west of Scotland to be capped at £2 from Monday

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The bus fare cap will cover journeys in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde - Image © Getty Images

Bus fares in the west of Scotland will be capped at £2, First Minister John Swinney has announced.

The move takes effect from Monday morning for journeys in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde.

In his programme for government, Swinney also confirmed plans to cut Scotland's health boards from 14 to two in what he said was the "most significant structural reform in the NHS in the era of devolution".

He vowed that by 2031, no patient will wait longer than 26 weeks for the treatment they need - an apparent downgrade on a promise in 2011 that patients should not wait longer than 12 weeks for inpatient or day-case treatment after diagnosis.

This is the first programme for government in the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament and outlines the government's policy and legislative goals.

The bus fare announcement is part of an SNP manifesto pledge to cut the cost of bus travel to £2 per single fare for every journey in the country by the end of this parliamentary term.

A cap is already in place in the Highlands and islands. Swinney did not say when it will be extended to the rest of Scotland.

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Paul White, director at Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Scotland, told BBC Scotland that most operators were ready.

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A similar £2 cap in England resulted in a 5% rise in bus use, he said.

"There are potential unintended consequences such as the number of additional passengers being greater than the current network can cope with.

"Dwell times is another - more passengers boarding the bus and telling the driver where they are going - that can increase boarding times that will increase journey times for other passengers."

He added: "The £2 fare cap is an eye-catching initiative that should help attract passengers and help existing passengers manage the cost of living.

"But a fares-only approach to bus support is inadequate. We really need steps to make buses more reliable, free them from congestion and we need a multi-year commitment to funding bus priority to go alongside schemes such as the £2 fare cap."