Scotland sets conduct rules for free bus passes

Scotland has updated the law behind its free bus travel schemes. The National Bus Travel Concession Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2026 was made on 18 March 2026 and takes effect on 24 March 2026. It introduces behaviour standards for concessionary travel and, where those standards are broken, allows a travel card to be suspended or withdrawn. The Order is published on legislation.gov.uk and is signed on behalf of Ministers by Jim Fairlie.

Here is what changes for you as a cardholder. Scottish Ministers can now set and publish a code of conduct for people using the concession schemes. If an individual breaches those standards, their card can be suspended or withdrawn. Crucially, before any decision is taken, Ministers must give notice, set out the reasons, and give the person a fair chance to respond. This due‑process step is written into the Order and applies across both schemes.

A quick explainer on how this law was made helps us read it critically. Scottish Statutory Instruments (SSIs) are secondary laws made under powers in an Act-in this case section 40 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005, which enables national concessionary travel schemes and allows Ministers to amend their rules. Because this SSI used the affirmative procedure, a draft was considered and approved by the Scottish Parliament before it was made. (legislation.gov.uk)

Who is covered. The change amends two existing schemes: free bus travel for older and disabled people (since 2006) and the Young Persons’ scheme (since 2021). Transport Scotland says over 800,000 children and young people can already access free nationwide bus travel, and official committee papers set out that both schemes sit under the 2005 Act. In short, the conduct rules and safeguards now span both age‑based and disability‑based eligibility. (transportscotland.gov.uk)

What counts as acceptable behaviour will be set out in a code that Ministers must publish. Officials have trailed that the code will focus on actions that harm, threaten or seriously disrupt others, and that work with operators is under way to finalise how suspensions would be administered. A public update in mid‑March recorded MSPs backing the enabling power, with the Minister saying the aim is safer, more respectful journeys for everyone. (news.stv.tv)

Your rights and responsibilities sit together. You are expected to follow the published standards once they are issued. Equally, you have clear procedural protections: written notice, specific reasons, and a real opportunity to make representations before any suspension or withdrawal. This is not a criminal sanction; it is an administrative step about your right to free travel on the scheme.

What happens if your card is paused. Transport Scotland has confirmed that a suspension from concessionary travel will not stop you paying a fare to use the bus, though operators can still refuse service under their own conditions of carriage. Officials also say the code of conduct and the detailed process will be published in 2026, after further engagement with user groups and operators. (transport.gov.scot)

For context, the concession schemes are widely used. Transport Scotland reports that in 2024 there were over 2.3 million National Concessionary Travel Scheme cardholders in Scotland, with more than half of all bus journeys in 2023–24 made under the schemes. Those numbers explain why Parliament asked for a fair, consistent system: we are protecting a benefit most people use responsibly while setting out consequences for serious misuse. (transport.gov.scot)

Try this as a classroom or staffroom take-away. Read the new rule as a balance: safety and respect on one side; access and inclusion on the other. Ask where you would draw the line for a proportionate suspension, what evidence should be needed, and how a young person or an older or disabled person could explain the impact of losing free travel. That is exactly what the Order now requires Ministers to consider before they decide.