Stakeholder Comms Toolkit

Purpose

This toolkit provides stakeholders with clear, consistent messaging and practical resources to help promote the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot. It enables partners (Regional Transport Partnerships, operators, local authorities, community groups, etc.) to amplify awareness and understanding through their own channels. This will help to ensure passengers know what the pilot is, where and when it applies, and how to access accurate information.

Background

The Scottish Government’s £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot is a 12-month initiative to introduce a simplified fare structure to make bus travel more affordable and easier to understand. Supported by a £10 million investment, the pilot is designed to:

• Encourage modal shift by increasing fare-paying patronage.
• Promote equity by supporting low-income passengers and those in fragile communities.
• Improve access to employment, education, and essential services.
• Test feasibility of a fare cap model, including financial and operational viability.
• Identify opportunities to protect and enhance the bus network.

Following a successful Expression of Interest process, the Scottish Government is working jointly with Regional Transport Partnerships HiTrans and ZetTrans to deliver the pilot in Shetland and the Highlands and Islands region. The 12 month pilot is being introduced on a phased basis, operating in:

• Shetland from 30 January 2026 until January 2027
• the Western Isles from 23 February 2026 until February 2027
• Orkney from 9 March 2026 until March 2027
• Highland, Moray, and Argyll and Bute from 23 March 2026 until March 2027

Tone

Factual, clear, neutral, and helpful. Avoid political framing.

Assets

A range of promotional resources are available for download to help partners and stakeholders in their communications about the pilot. This includes social media graphics, films, posters and screen display graphics.

You can view and download resources from our Campaign Assets page online.

Branding

You are welcome to add your logo to the posters and digital assets. Simply download the files and, using your preferred editing software (e.g. Canva, PowerPoint or Adobe applications), place your logo in a suitable corner or area of the design where it does not overlap key text or imagery.

Key lines

Headline

£2 to go by bus

Core message

Single bus fares are capped at £2 as part of a 12-month Scottish Government pilot across the Highlands and Islands.

Call to action

transport.gov.scot/twopound

Key points

• Applies to single tickets only (adult and child).
• Concessionary travel is unchanged.
• Available on participating bus services.
• The pilot is scheduled to run for a 12 month period. Start and end dates vary by location.

Gaelic

Headline

£2 airson a dhol air a’ bhus

Core message

Thèid faraidhean bus singilte dha inbhich agus clann a chumail fo £2 mar phàirt de phaidhleat 12‑mìosan aig Riaghaltas na h‑Alba air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean.

Copy library

Short-form copy (social posts, posters, etc.)

Single fares capped at £2 for 12 months in the Highlands and Islands. Start and end dates vary by location. Conditions apply. More info at transport.gov.scot/twopound

£2 single bus fares in the Highlands and Islands. Simple, affordable travel. Conditions apply. More info: transport.gov.scot/twopound

Travel for £2 across the Highlands and Islands. Single bus fares on participating routes are capped at £2 for one year. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Affordable travel starts now. £2 single bus fares on participating routes in the Highlands and Islands for one year. Learn more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Medium-form copy (Facebook, LinkedIn, newsletters, etc.)

Big news for bus users in the Highlands and Islands! Single fares on participating services are now capped at £2 as part of a 12-month pilot. This means cheaper, simpler travel for everyone. Find out how you can travel for less at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Cheaper bus travel is now available across the Highlands and Islands. As part of a 12‑month pilot, single fares on participating routes are capped at £2, making everyday journeys simpler and more affordable for passengers. The pilot supports more sustainable travel choices across the islands, while concessionary travel remains unchanged. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

A new 12‑month pilot means passengers in the Highlands and Islands now pay no more than £2 for single bus journeys on participating routes. The pilot aims to make bus travel more accessible and affordable, helping to reduce everyday travel costs. Find out how the pilot works at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Long-form copy (blogs, mailshots, press releases, etc.)

The Scottish Government, working in partnership with ZetTrans and HiTrans, is introducing a £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot across the Highlands and Islands. For 12 months, single fares on participating routes are capped at £2. The pilot is live across the Highlands and Islands, helping to make everyday travel more affordable. Concessionary travel remains unchanged. For full details on how you can hop on board and save money, visit transport.gov.scot/twopound

The £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot is now live across the Highlands and Islands, delivered by the Scottish Government in partnership with ZetTrans and HiTrans. This means single fares on participating bus routes are capped at £2. The pilot aims to make bus travel more affordable, support a shift to sustainable transport and provide data to inform future approaches to fares policy. Start and end dates vary by location. To learn more about how the pilot works, visit transport.gov.scot/twopound

We’re excited to announce that the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot is now live across the Highlands and Islands. This means that single fares on participating routes now cost no more than £2. The 12-month pilot is part of a Scottish Government, HiTrans and ZetTrans initiative to make public transport more accessible and affordable. Available for a limited time only so hop on board now! For more information, including start and end dates for each location, visit transport.gov.scot/twopound

Accessibility and language guidance

• Use a colour contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large scale), in line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. A ratio of 7:1 is preferable for print assets.
• Use a simple and easily readable font for better legibility.
• Optimum font size for print assets is 16pt. This ensures legibility on posters and other out-of-home formats.
• Provide alt text for all digital images.
• Use plain English; avoid jargon.
• Consider whether Gaelic translations would be helpful in your communications, where possible.
• Ensure PDFs and web content are screen reader compatible.
• Include QR codes alongside short URLs for easy mobile access.

Pre-election Period

The pre‑election period (PEP) begins 26 March 2026 and runs until polling day (7 May 2026). Special arrangements apply to all Scottish Government communications during this period to maintain political impartiality and avoid use of public resources in ways that could influence the election.

Guidance on this is available on the Scottish Government website.

What this means for governmental and public bodies

• No proactive promotion of the £2 Fare Cap Pilot is permitted, as promotional communications are not classed as essential business. This means no new publicity—such as social media posts, digital content, press releases, media features, campaign materials, or paid advertising—can be issued by Transport Scotland or other public bodies.
• Communications may continue only for essential operational purposes, such as safety messages, emergency updates, or critical service information. These must be factual, low‑key, and properly cleared.
• Public bodies must avoid any significant new announcements that could appear political, be high profile, or compete with election campaigning; such material must be deferred.
• Existing published materials (e.g., website content or the Stakeholder Toolkit) may remain available, but Transport Scotland cannot promote or add to them, and no updates that could be viewed as promotional are allowed.

What this means for private organisations/stakeholders

• Private companies, such as bus operators, are not bound by PEP rules.
• They may continue promotional activity using the toolkit messaging, provided activity is funded and delivered independently of the Scottish Government.
• They should avoid implying endorsement or active partnership with government during this window, this includes using Scottish Government or Transport Scotland branded communications materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the £2 bus fare cap pilot?

The £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot is a 12-month Scottish Government initiative designed to make bus travel more affordable and easier to understand. Under the pilot, single journey fares on participating local bus services will cost no more than £2.

The pilot is being delivered jointly with HiTrans and ZetTrans and will run across Shetland, and the Highlands and Islands region (excluding Helensburgh and Lomond).

The 12 month pilot is being introduced on a phased basis, operating in:

• Shetland from 30 January 2026 until January 2027
• the Western Isles from 23 February 2026 until February 2027
• Orkney from 9 March 2026 until March 2027
• Highland, Moray, and Argyll and Bute from 23 March 2026 until March 2027.

For more information visit transport.gov.scot/twopound.

Q. When does it start and end?

The 12 month pilot is being introduced on a phased basis, operating in:

• Shetland from 30 January 2026 until January 2027
• the Western Isles from 23 February 2026 until February 2027
• Orkney from 9 March 2026 until March 2027
• Highland, Moray, and Argyll and Bute from 23 March 2026 until March 2027.

Find out more information at transport.gov.scot/twopound.

Q. How do I know if my journey is eligible?

Services provided by the operators listed on the Transport Scotland website are included in the pilot.

Premium-fare services are excluded from the pilot, e.g. tour buses, premium night services or private-hire services.

If passengers are unsure if their journey is included they should contact their bus operator before travelling.

In Highland, Moray and Argyll and Bute

Your journey is eligible, and your single fare will be capped at £2, if;

• it is run by a participating bus operator (see the list below); and
• it starts and ends within Highland, Moray or Argyll and Bute (excluding Helensburgh and Lomond).

If only part of your journey is within these areas, then you’ll pay £2 for the part of the journey inside these areas, and the normal fare for the rest of your journey. This will be calculated automatically when you purchase your ticket.

Q. Does it apply to return tickets, day tickets, or season passes?

No. The £2 cap applies only to single journey tickets. Return, day, multi‑journey, and season‑ticket products are not included.

Q. Are child fares included?

Yes. The fare cap applies to child single tickets as well as adult single tickets, if the cost of the fare is usually over £2.

However, children and young people under the age of 22 are eligible for free travel with a valid National Entitlement Card (or Young Scot NEC) through the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes. Visit transport.gov.scot/under22 for more information.

Q. What about tickets booked before the pilot launched?

Tickets bought before the pilot launched in the respective area are not eligible, even if the date of travel is whilst the pilot is live.

Tickets bought , for travel during the pilot, are eligible.

If your whole journey is within Highland, Moray or Argyll and Bute (excluding Helensburgh and Lomond) and you are;

• staying on the same bus - one ticket is required, and the £2 cap applies.
• changing buses (even if it is the same operator) - the cap still applies, but you must buy a ticket for each leg of your journey.

If part of your journey is outside these areas

The £2 cap applies only to the part of your journey within Highland, Moray or Argyll and Bute. The remainder of your journey is charged at the normal fare. This will be calculated automatically when you purchase your ticket.

Q. Does this affect concessionary travel?

No. The pilot does not affect the National Concessionary Travel Schemes. Concessionary cardholders can continue to access free journeys with a valid National Entitlement Card. Visit transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel for more.

Q. Will the pilot expand to other areas?

No. The pilot is limited to the two selected Regional Transport Partnership areas - HiTrans and ZetTrans - following an Expression of Interest process overseen by the Scottish Government. There are no plans to expand the pilot to additional regions.

Q. Why is the Scottish Government running this pilot?

The pilot aims to:

• improve affordability for passengers
• support modal shift towards sustainable transport
• promote equity in fragile and rural communities
• improve access to employment, education, and essential services
• test the feasibility of a flat‑fare model and gather evidence to inform future national fare policy

Q. What happens when the pilot ends?

The pilot is due to run for 12 months. After that point, normal commercial or local authority fare structures will resume. Please be aware that, as this will be one year from launch, commercial fare prices may have increased. Check with your bus operator before travelling.

Q. Where can I find more information?

Information on pilot is available at transport.gov.scot/twopound.

Contact

For more information on pilot, please visit transport.gov.scot/twopound

Passengers looking for information on the policy or communications should contact RBFP@transport.gov.scot.