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, posters and screen display graphics.

You can view and download resources from our Google Drive.

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.)

£2 single bus fares in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. Simple, affordable travel. Conditions apply. More info: transport.gov.scot/twopound

Your bus journey for just £2. One‑year pilot on participating routes in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. Find out more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

Travel for £2 across Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. 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 Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles for one year. Learn more at transport.gov.scot/twopound

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

Big news for bus users in Scottish islands! Single fares are now capped at £2 across Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles 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 Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. 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 Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles 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 now live in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, 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 Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, 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 in Orkney. This means that single fares on participating routes across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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. Our assets follow the Transport Scotland colour palette for accessible contrast and brand recognition.
  • 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.

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. Which bus services are included?

Registered local bus services where the operator has agreed to take part in the pilot are eligible. Premium-fare services are excluded from the pilot, e.g. tour buses, premium night services or private-hire services.

If you are unsure, contact the bus operator directly to check if your route is included.

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. 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 information.

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

A journey is eligible if:

  • it is a single adult or child journey
  • the bus service is a participating, registered local bus service operating entirely within the relevant Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) area

Passengers should check:

  • operator websites and social channels
  • local posters and bus stop information
  • transport.gov.scot/twopound

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 the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot, including eligibility details and updates, is available at transport.gov.scot/twopound.

Contact

For more information on the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot, please visit transport.gov.scot/twopound

Passengers looking for information on the Pilot’s policy should contact RBFP@transport.gov.scot.

If you are a bus operator or local authority and need help or advice about the £2 Bus Fare Cap pilot please contact Lorraine.Caddle@transport.gov.scot and Laura.McKenna@transport.gov.scot.

If you need advice on the pilot communications please contact Gillian.Kelly@transport.gov.scot and Rachael.Morris@transport.gov.scot.