£2 Bus Fare Cap for the North East

Bus passengers across North East Scotland will benefit from more affordable public transport from April 2027 when the £2 Bus Fare Cap is expanded to the region.

The rollout is the latest stage in the Scottish Government's commitment to deliver a nationwide £2 Bus Fare Cap, helping people with the cost of living while encouraging greater use of public transport. The cap will apply to eligible single bus journeys across participating services in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire from April 2027.

The expansion follows the successful introduction of the £2 Bus Fare Cap in the Highlands and Islands and across the Strathclyde area, extending the benefits of lower fares to hundreds of thousands more passengers across the North East of Scotland.

First Minister John Swinney said: 

"The expansion of the £2 Bus Fare Cap across North East Scotland means passengers travelling across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire will be able to benefit from cheaper bus travel from April 2027, putting more money back into people's pockets while helping them access work, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities.

"This is another significant step towards our ambition of delivering a nationwide £2 Bus Fare Cap. Following successful rollouts in the Highlands and Islands and Strathclyde, we are continuing to extend the scheme to more communities across the country.

"The cost of living continues to put pressure on households across Scotland, and we are determined to make public transport more affordable for the people who rely on it every day.

"Bus services are vital to our economy and to the connectivity of our towns, villages and cities. By making bus travel more affordable and attractive, we can help tackle the cost of living, support sustainable travel choices and encourage more people to leave the car at home."

Transport Scotland will work closely with bus operators, local authorities and regional transport partners to prepare for the expansion and ensure passengers can benefit from simpler, more affordable travel across the region.

Further details on participating operators and eligible services will be published ahead of the scheme's launch in April 2027.

Background 

The £2 Bus Fare Cap means participating operators will charge no more than £2 for eligible single bus journeys.

The cap was first introduced in the Highlands and Islands before being extended to the Strathclyde region as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to deliver a nationwide £2 Bus Fare Cap.

The expansion across North East Scotland, covering Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, will come into effect in April 2027.

The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering a nationwide £2 Bus Fare Cap across Scotland during this Parliament.

Transport Scotland plan to set out further detail on Better Bus Legislation in 2027.