Public funding subsidies by Transport Scotland for Network Support Grant and Concessionary Bus Travel: FOI release

Information requested

What is the total public funding subsidy, both Revenue and Capital, given by Transport Scotland for

(a) Network Support Grant

(b) Concessionary Bus Travel

(c) any additional Local Authority gross costs incurred, in support of bus services to each of the 32 local authorities to run the bus network?

Response

Network Support Grant

A total of £141,936 was provided for local authority-run bus services through the Network Support Grant (NSG) in the financial year 2022-23. It should be noted that financial reconciliations are still being undertaken and therefore this figure is subject to change. The figure provided is based on the latest available data at 3 May 2023.

A total of £395,027 was provided for local authority-run bus services through the Network Support Grant Plus (NSG+) in the financial year 2022-23. It should be noted that financial reconciliations are still being undertaken and therefore this figure is subject to change. The figure provided is based on the latest available data at 3 May 2023.

Concessionary Bus Travel

A total of £464,690 was provided to reimburse local authority-run bus services for journeys made under the National Concessionary Travel Schemes in the financial year 2022-23. This is based on the latest available data at 3 May 2023. However, it should be noted that this figure is subject to change as operators have up to 12 months to claim for concessionary journeys in line with scheme legislation.

Other funding

A total of £37,050 was awarded through the Smart Pay Grant Fund to three local authorities in the financial year 2022-23. Some of this funding is still to be claimed by the respective local authorities.

A total of £52,000 of financial support was awarded to seven local authorities through a grant funding agreement with the Improvement Service. This was one-off support to assist with the operational implementation of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Local authorities receive money through the general revenue grant to secure additional bus services which are socially necessary but not commercially viable in their own right. In 2021-22 they spent £55 million in this way.

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