Hundreds to take part in Scotland's first free public transport trial

People in Glasgow are to be offered free public transport in the first trial of its kind in Scotland.

Councillors have approved £225,000 to offer concessionary travel to 1,000 residents as part of the upcoming year’s budget.

A study looked at the possibility last year and found that a smart card ticket for the bus, train, and subway would be a feasible way of rolling it out, and the pilot could run for nine weeks.

The study recommended that people aged between 22 and 59 be included, but the council has yet to release exact details on how and when it would happen.

The study also suggested that providing everyone in Glasgow between the ages of 22 and 59 with free public transport for just nine weeks would “cost approximately £95.7m excluding back office and admin costs”.

The budget paper at a council meeting said the test run would be “Scotland’s first universal free public transport pilot”.

It added: “A thousand adults will be able to access transport free at the point of use to test the social, environmental and economic benefits of this.”

Firm Stantec Limited conducted the free public transport pilot study for the council last year.

The study said: “The intention of the pilot is to provide a mechanism through which benefits and costs of free public transport can be captured and assessed, to inform future decision making and policy setting for potential wider roll-out of the scheme across the city on a more permanent basis.”

The council has a target to see a 30% reduction in vehicle kilometres by 2030 and reach net zero by then.

According to the council, more people using public transport or cycling and walking in the city would help achieve that goal.