Tuesday November 10th 2026
Lothian bus number 29
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Councillors in Midlothian are calling on the government to review the bus concession scheme amid claims vital services are being cut because they do not make a profit.
A motion from the council’s Labour group highlighting their concerns about a gap between the cost of running services and the payments made to them for those using free bus passes was backed at a meeting of full council.
In what the Labour group described as a ‘funding scandal’ they had said payments from Scottish Government to bus companies is sometimes nearly half of what the journey would generate if paid by customers.
Transport Scotland, who oversee the bus concessions, had insisted they have a ‘no better, no worse’ policy for operators taking part in the concession scheme saying the rates are agreed with bus operators adding it takes into account some people using cheaper tickets or not using the pass at all.
However a meeting of Midlothian Council this week heard from Labour group leader Derek Milligan how he had been shocked by the figures after asking local bus companies why buses which appeared to be busy were being taken out of service.
He told the meeting: “I was baffled when I would see a packed bus go by and then hear the service was being reduced. It made no sense until I saw the figures and realised it doesn’t matter if the bus is full, if 80 per cent of those using the concession card it is running at a loss.
“As a rural and semi rural county we rely on public buses in Midlothian.”
In motion Councillor Milligan said that while the actual fare for over 60s, disabled people and youngsters aged between 16 and 21 is £2.40, the Scottish government pays £1.27 for over 60s and disabled people and £1.74 for over 16 youths.
Children aged between five and fifteen would pay a £1.20 fare and the Scottish Government pays bus firms £1.15.
The motion led by Councillor Miilligan and seconded by Councillor Russell Imrie had called on the Scottish Government to adopt the approach England operates of a “no better, no worse” principle.
Councillor Imrie told the meeting of the council he had been ‘shocked’ to discover bus companies were not reimbursed.
However ahead of the meeting Transport Scotland said it operates the same approach adding it also seeks to take account of the range of fares on offer by applying a discount factor to the reimbursement rate to account for people buying period or return tickets.
Their spokesperson said: “The reimbursement rates for our concessionary travel schemes are calculated and agreed with the bus industry with the aim of ensuring that bus operators are financially no better or worse off as a result of their participation. The latest available data, provided by bus operators including on operators costs is taken into account.”
The council approved the motion to write to Scottish Government asking for a review.
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