Public transport costs the Scottish Government £2 billion every year. Buses and trains are essential for many people and for reducing car travel and emissions. But in the current financial climate, the Scottish Government is likely to seek short-term economies in operation.
A new far-sighted public transport strategy is needed to reverse decline in local bus services and cut the high ScotRail subsidy. To reduce duplication and shortcomings in public transport, organisational changes may be needed to boost use and value for money. Comparing transport systems elsewhere has identified two issues that could be very relevant in Scotland:
- Replacing high-cost suburban trains with Metro systems with control devolved to city regions. Many metro systems do not need revenue support and attract high levels of usage. (Compare Glasgow where suburban trains consume about 25% of the total cost of ScotRail)
- Franchising local bus services to co-ordinate timetables, integrate ticketing and eliminate duplication, allowing revenue support to be concentrated on strategic route networks.
The Scottish Government is responding to current short-term financial pressures. But long-term strategic planning is needed to ensure a better sustainable future. This planning should start now. The two issues identified above are briefly discussed in the following paragraphs.
Metro
Manchester’s Metrolink tram system, running largely on former railway routes, serves 99 stops and carries 36 m passengers annually. Pre-covid Metrolink did not need regular subsidy. Glasgow’s inner suburban rail network covers a similar area but accounts for around 25% of the cost of the total ScotRail network.
The Clyde Metro concept, contained in Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review, envisages converting and extending some of the Glasgow rail network using metro operation. This project is at initial stages of consideration by Strathclyde PTE. The Clyde Metro plan could be prioritised to convert ScotRail Glasgow suburban services to metro operation. Capital funding would be required, perhaps through a new City Deal, to give Glasgow City Region devolved responsibility for a Clyde Metro network as extensive as Manchester’s Metrolink. This could save the Scottish Government up to 25% of the total ScotRail cost annually, boost public transport use around Glasgow, and replace some of ScotRail’s older electric trains with new, lighter Metro vehicles.
Bus Franchising
Swiss bus passengers rose by +13% from 2013 to 2019 while in Scotland numbers fell by -14% over the same period. Switzerland has an integrated public transport system with buses being part of the co-ordinated bus, train and tram network. Swiss cities have municipal transport companies while the PostBus network uses franchising to provide bus services outside urban areas. This provides a stable, reliable transport network that has attracted steady growth.
Scotland’s deregulated bus framework has seen local bus journeys fall for decades A franchising system for local buses could create an efficient bus network co-ordinated with rail services.
Long distance coach travel, in contrast to local bus travel, is prospering but at the expense of ScotRail’s Inter7City revenue and the Government’s transport budget. Providing concessionary travel on long-distance coaches encourages transfer from rail to coach. A review could consider limiting the validity of concessionary travel to journeys within one “region”.