Question reference: S5W-35586
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 26 February 2021
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the cost of extending free bus travel to people in receipt of benefits because of a low income, including universal credit.
Answer
As part of the review on extending concessionary travel across all modes of public transport to those under the age of 26 an assessment framework was developed to undertake multi-criteria analysis to assess their contribution to delivering the National Transport Strategy. This framework has been used to assess a range of options considering other factors such as assessment of cost and deliverability.
As part of the strategic options used for appraisal the Scottish Government has carried out analysis on the cost of extending free bus travel to people aged under 26 on low incomes or in receipt of benefits.
The review on extending concessionary travel across all modes of public transport to those under the age of 26 was paused as a result of the impact of COVID-19, but is nearing completion and Scottish Government will publish the findings.