There will have to be “big decisions” made to pay for a £2 bus fare cap, Scotland’s Transport Secretary has said, as he appeared to rule out an expansion of free travel.
The SNP pledged to expand a pilot which started in the Highlands and islands across the country ahead of the Holyrood election last month.
Speaking at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow on Wednesday, Stephen Flynn appeared to reject calls to expand free bus travel for young people from its current ceiling of 22 years old, citing plans to cut costs for everyone.
The biggest expansion that I can offer right now is the one that we committed to in our manifesto, which the people elected us on, to make sure that we deliver that £2 fare cap across Scotland
“First and foremost, we’ve got a manifesto commitment to make sure that everyone who sits within the age of 22 and, where they don’t have access to a free bus pass in the way that others do, that we’re going to bring in a £2 fare cap, like we’ve been piloting in the Highlands and islands,” he told the Press Association.
“We’re going to put that into the west of Scotland in the first instance and then spread it out across Scotland to ensure that public transport is affordable, so that we can alleviate the burden of the cost-of-living crisis and put money back into people’s pockets that they can spend elsewhere.”
Pressed on if that means free travel for young people will only be available for those under the age of 22, the newly-appointed Transport Secretary said: “The biggest expansion that I can offer right now is the one that we committed to in our manifesto, which the people elected us on, to make sure that we deliver that £2 fare cap across Scotland.
Over 300 million free bus trips have now been made by under 22s across Scotland 🥳
The @scotgov scheme continues to transform how young people travel, helping to:
🔹 save money🔹 support greener travel🔹 open up opportunities
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/RX4cRQVGK8 pic.twitter.com/TQgYERquF2
— Transport Scotland (@transcotland) June 17, 2026
“I’m really excited to do that – there’s going to have to be some big decisions that are made in order to facilitate that, but it’s the right thing to do, because the people elected us on that promise and we know the transformational impact it’ll have on their lives.”
He was speaking as the number of trips taken by young people using the free fare scheme topped 300 million.
Mr Flynn met and spoke to young people in Glasgow on Wednesday morning, ahead of a debate in Holyrood.
“That’s a remarkable thing to consider, that sheer volume of numbers,” he said.
“But what sits behind that is young people being able to go to school, go to college, go to university, go see family, go and see friends and get on in life, giving them the opportunity to experience all the things that communities and society offer.”
Mr Flynn – who also has responsibility for the economy and tourism in his ministerial remit – said there “is no functioning economy without a functioning transport system”.