Stakeholder Comms Toolkit

The Scottish Government’s £2 Bus Fare Cap is designed to make bus travel more affordable, helping people with everyday costs and encouraging greater use of sustainable public transport.

The first phase launched across the Highlands and Islands in early 2026, with a second phase introduced across Strathclyde in September 2026. Together, these schemes now mean £2 bus fares are available in around 60% of Scotland’s land area, home to around half of Scotland’s population.

This toolkit provides stakeholders with clear, consistent messaging and practical resources to help promote the £2 Bus Fare Cap.

It is designed to support Regional Transport Partnerships, bus operators, local authorities, community organisations, employers and other stakeholders to communicate the benefits of the scheme though their own channels.

Resources

A range of promotional materials has been developed to support stakeholder communications. This includes digital and social media graphics, localised area-specific graphics and posters.

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

Promotional materials are available to use with the following time windows and can only be used for organic activity through stakeholder own channels:

Highlands and Islands: 27 July – 16 November 2026

Strathclyde: 28 September – 23 November 2026

Message framework

Tone

Communications should be:

  • Factual
  • Clear
  • Practical
  • Helpful
  • Non-political

Focus on passenger benefits and everyday experiences. Avoid technical language and policy terminology where possible.

Key campaign messages

Partners are encouraged to use one or more of the following core messages where appropriate.

Save money on travel

£2 bus fares help reduce the cost of everyday journeys and put money back in people’s pockets.

No fuss, hop on and go

A simple £2 single fare makes bus travel easier. Just hop on and go.

Everyday journeys made easier

Helping people access work, education, healthcare, shopping and leisure.

Go further for £2

Making it easier and more affordable to explore local communities and attractions.

Call to action

Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Where appropriate, please include; “Single journey tickets on participating services. Conditions apply”.

Copy library

The following copy is provided as a guide and can be adapted to suit local audiences, channels and communication needs, while remaining consistent with the campaign's key messages. Short, medium and long-form copy is provided below for each scheme area.

Highlands and Islands

Short-form copy

  • £2 single bus fares are available across the Highlands and Islands on participating services. Helping make everyday travel more affordable. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound.
  • Explore more of the Highlands and Islands for less. £2 single bus fares are helping make travel more affordable across the region. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Medium-form copy

  • Single fares on participating bus services across the Highlands and Islands are capped at £2. The scheme aims to make travel simpler and more affordable, helping people get to work, education, appointments and leisure activities for less. Concessionary travel remains unchanged. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound
  • Whether you’re travelling to work, attending appointments, visiting family or just exploring the region, £2 bus fares can help your money go further. Single journeys across the Highlands and Islands are capped at £2 on participating services. Conditions apply.

Long-form copy

The Scottish Government, working with HITRANS and ZetTrans, introduced the £2 bus fare cap across the Highlands and Islands to make bus travel more affordable and accessible.

Since launch, more than 1.5 million journeys have been made with passengers saving an average of £7 per single journey. This is helping people save money on everyday travel and making it easier to choose sustainable public transport.

The fare cap is helping connect people with employment, education and leisure opportunities and making it even easier for residents and visitors alike to explore the beautiful Highlands and Islands.

Strathclyde

Short-form copy

  • £2 single bus fares are available across Strathclyde on participating services. Helping make everyday travel more affordable. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound.
  • Make your money go further with a simple £2 single fare. No fuss, just hop on and go. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Medium-form copy

  • Single fares on participating bus services across Strathclyde are capped at £2. The scheme is helping to make travel more affordable for people travelling for work, education, shopping and leisure. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound
  • Wherever life takes you across Strathclyde, £2 bus fares can help reduce the cost of everyday journeys. Available across Glasgow, Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire.

Long-form copy

Bus fares across the Strathclyde area are capped at £2 on participating services.

The £2 Bus Fare Cap scheme is helping people across Glasgow, Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire save money on travel, putting money back in people’s pockets.

Whether travelling for work, education, shopping, appointments or just to visit family and friends, passengers can benefit from a simple and affordable fare. There’s so much to do across Strathclyde, where will £2 take you?

Generic

Short and Medium-form copy

  • £2 single bus fares are available across the Highlands & Islands and Strathclyde on participating services. Helping make everyday travel more affordable. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound.
  • Affordable bus travel is now available across two major regions of Scotland. With single fares capped at £2 on participating services throughout the Highlands & Islands and Strathclyde, more people can travel for less. Whether it’s the commute to work, your on the school run or you just want to explore more of Scotland, £2 journeys can take you further.

Long-form copy

The Scottish Government's £2 Bus Fare Cap is now operating across both the Highlands & Islands and Strathclyde.

Together, the schemes are helping make bus travel more affordable, supporting people with the cost of living and encouraging greater use of public transport. The fare cap is available on participating services and is helping people access employment, education, healthcare, shopping and leisure opportunities for less.

The schemes now cover approximately 60% of Scotland's land area and areas where around half of Scotland's population live. Evidence gathered through both schemes will help inform future expansion and support the development of a nationwide £2 Bus Fare Cap.

Website copy

Example 1

The Scottish Government's £2 Bus Fare Cap is now operating across both the Highlands & Islands and Strathclyde.

Together, the schemes are helping make bus travel more affordable, supporting people with the cost of living and encouraging greater use of public transport. The fare cap is available on participating services and is helping people access employment, education, healthcare, shopping and leisure opportunities for less.

The schemes now cover approximately 60% of Scotland's land area and areas where around half of Scotland's population live.

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

Accessibility and language guidance

When adapting or creating materials:

  • Use plain English
  • Ensure colour contrast meets accessibility requirements
  • Use accessible fonts and layouts
  • Add alt text for digital images
  • Ensure PDFs and web content are screen-reader compatible
  • Consider whether Gaelic translations would be appropriate for your audience.