2. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the provision of regular bus services in semi-rural areas such as Ratho in the Edinburgh Pentlands Constituency. (S5O-04574)

We provide direct annual funding of around £53 million to support all bus services, including those in rural and semi-rural areas, and more than £200 million to provide free bus travel for older and disabled people. We also fund local authorities through the general revenue grant to provide additional targeted support for services to meet local needs. In 2018-19, £57 million was provided in that way.

During the pandemic, we have maintained levels of direct funding. In addition, we have committed up to £109.7 million over 20 weeks to ensure expanded services to enable people to travel safely while distancing.

Many residents and commuters in the semi-rural areas of Edinburgh in my Constituency are being discouraged from using public transport following changes to the bus service provider that have resulted in an increased cost to commuters who travel into Edinburgh and within the city.

One-Ticket, which is an integrated public transport pass that has existed since 1998, could help commuters, but it is not well known—its sales represent less than one third of 1 per cent of the local bus company’s turnover. What can the Scottish Government do to help promote awareness and use of One-Ticket to the residents of rural Edinburgh?

The member will be aware that One-Ticket is an independent commercially led ticketing venture, and it is a matter for operators to decide whether they wish to make use of such provision.

The member might be aware that we are seeing ever-increasing use of contactless payment across public transport. Alongside that, the smart ticketing card has also been provided, which allows a variety of different card-based public transport ticketing options to be used on one single smart card. The smart ticketing card, which was rolled out last year, is the first of its type in the United Kingdom and can be used by all public transport operators in Scotland.