The Bus Infrastructure Fund will rise from £20m to £55m in 2026-27, with ministers saying the investment will help make rides more reliable, accessible and dependable.
Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn confirmed the Fund ahead of a roundtable with bus operators, local transport authorities, passenger groups and other industry representatives. The meeting came as the government seeks to address long-running concerns over journey times, reliability and the attractiveness of bus travel.
The announcement forms part of the government’s wider Better Buses agenda, which includes proposed reforms to give communities more influence over local services.
Flynn said: “This investment will help local authorities deliver the bus priority measures, passenger facilities and wider improvements they believe are needed to make their local bus services more reliable.
“This is just the start of our ambitious plans for the sector – we want all journeys to be more affordable and for bus services in every community across Scotland to be better.”
The funding is expected to support measures such as bus priority schemes, improved passenger facilities, upgraded corridors and other local transport improvements designed to help services run more smoothly.
Ministers argue that making services faster and more dependable is central to persuading more people to choose buses over private cars, particularly on congested routes where delays can make public transport less attractive.
The Bus Infrastructure Fund will provide £55m of capital funding in 2026-27, up from £20m in 2025-26, as part of the Scottish Government’s efforts to increase bus patronage and encourage people to choose public transport over private car use.
Transport Scotland describes the fund as the government’s main route for supporting the development, design and construction of bus infrastructure, replacing the previous Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund.
Paul White, director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland, which represents Scotland’s bus and coach industries, welcomed the 2026-27 funding.
He said: “Investing in measures that help buses move more quickly and reliably is vital if we are to make bus travel an even more suitable choice for people across Scotland.
“Bus priority and other targeted infrastructure improvements can reduce delays, improve journey times and give passengers greater confidence that their bus will get them where they need to be, when they need to be there.”
The announcement emerges as the Scottish Government continues to frame bus investment as part of its wider transport and climate agenda, with strengthened public transport seen as a key way to reduce dependence on car usage and support increasingly sustainable journeys.
However, the fund’s impact will depend on local authorities and transport partners bringing forward practical schemes that turn the investment into visible improvements on local routes.