It’s happening. Glasgow City Council has confirmed that next year a bunch of locals will be treated to six weeks of complimentary public transport to test whether free travel can be implemented city-wide.
The pilot has been a work in progress since 2021, when the Scottish government made a recommendation to evaluate whether a reduction in emissions and greater social inclusion would justify a nationwide policy of free transport being introduced.
Funds were then allocated to support the development of the trial in 2024 and councillors signed off another £225,000 to go towards the scheme back in February. It got the official go ahead on Thursday, October 30 and is due to start in early 2025.
The trial will involve 1,000 locals between the ages of 22 to 59 (people outside of that range already get free transport). They’ll be given Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) zone cards that give them unlimited travel on the city’s trains, subway and buses for six weeks. It’s the first city in Scotland to run a trail of this kind.
At the moment single bus fares in Glasgow range from £3.60 to £5.90 while rides on the subway cost £1.80 one-way or £4.30 for the whole day.
Angus Millar, the council’s transport convenor, said: ‘The pilot aims to explore how free access to public transport affects travel choices, access to services and participants overall well being.’
Christy Mearns, Scottish Greens councillor and transport spokesperson, added: ‘As a city with one of the lowest levels of car ownership across the whole of Scotland, this will have a transformative impact for people living in poverty and experiencing social isolation and I hope that it will pave the way for expanding free public transport in Glasgow longer-term.’
The data gathered from the trial would be used to inform the wider discussion on the future of Glasgow’s public transport. More details are yet to be confirmed and an exact start date is still to be announced.
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