- Single adult and child bus journeys capped at £2 from Monday 23 March 2026
- 12-month pilot aims to make bus travel more affordable and accessible across the region
- Follows successful launch in Orkney earlier this month
Stagecoach services across the Highlands and Moray are set to introduce the £2 Bus Fare Cap Pilot on Monday (23 March), helping make bus travel simpler and more affordable for customers across the region.
The pilot, which runs for 12 months, forms part of the Transport Scotland Regional Bus Fare Cap Pilot Programme, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with Transport Scotland.
Under the scheme, single adult and child fares on participating Stagecoach local bus services will cost no more than £2. Where a single fare is already less than £2, it will remain at its existing lower price.
The pilot applies to single journeys only. Return, DayRider and MegaRider tickets are not included. There is no change to concessionary travel, with customers holding a valid National Entitlement Card continuing to travel free as normal.
The introduction of the pilot across the mainland network follows the successful launch in Orkney on 9 March, where early data shows around 75% of Stagecoach customers benefited from the fare cap during the first week.
Earlier this month, First Minister John Swinney visited Inverness Bus Station to highlight the upcoming launch and the role the initiative will play in improving the accessibility and affordability of public transport across the region.
David Beaton, Managing Director for Stagecoach North Scotland, said, “Following the positive response to the launch in Orkney, we’re pleased to introduce the £2 fare cap pilot across the Highlands and Moray. Early feedback from customers has been very encouraging, with around three-quarters of passengers in Orkney benefiting from the cap in the first week alone.
While the scale and distance of journeys across our mainland network is significantly greater, that also means the potential savings for customers can be even more substantial.
We believe this pilot will make a noticeable difference to people’s everyday lives; helping make travel more affordable while supporting access to work, education, healthcare and leisure across the region.”
Customers will see the capped £2 single fares automatically applied on ticket machines and via the Stagecoach app. No action is required from customers beyond purchasing their usual single ticket.
Certain cross-boundary services are excluded from the cap. Journeys on services 10, 35/X35 and M96 that start or finish in Aberdeenshire will not be included in the £2 fare cap and will carry an additional fare. The pilot area includes communities such as Elgin, Cullen and Keith.
For full information about the pilot, including a detailed Fare Cap map, customers can visit the Stagecoach website.