Cabinet Secretary foreword
Modernising transport is crucial in driving forward a greener, fairer Scotland, enhancing equality, increasing opportunity, and supporting communities.
Building on our smart ticketing achievements, we want to go further to support improvements to the availability, affordability, and accessibility of public transport and ticketing. We will work with stakeholders to enhance the consistency and interoperability of smart and integrated ticketing, improve the quality and availability of travel information to support better integrated journey planning and we will continue to advance the national concessionary travel scheme’s technology.
Since publishing the smart ticketing delivery strategy in 2018, collaborative working with transport authorities and operators has delivered a significant range of enhancements, from new digital platforms to universal smartcards, modernising concessionary ferry travel, extending free bus travel to young people aged 5 to 21, supporting provision of contactless payment onto 98% of bus services, and further development of regional ticketing schemes.
We have also begun introducing smart ticketing measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (the “2019 Act”), and established the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB), comprising of operators, transport authorities, users, and technical experts, to advise on the future of smart ticketing in Scotland, and on a technological standard for smart ticketing.
This refreshed 2024 smart ticketing strategy complements my wider transport priorities and provides a new, clear vision:
To increase the use of sustainable public transport by providing smart and integrated ticketing, payment, and journey planning data enhancements, contributing to a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland.
Informed by industry engagement, public feedback and evolution in technology, it supports the National Transport Strategy, delivery of the Fair Fares Review and contributes to the target to reduce car use by 20% by 2030.
The strategy also reflects on the challenges to progression and the impact of changes to travel patterns influenced by the Covid pandemic. It sets out the roadmap for improving smart, integrated ticketing and payment across Scotland over the next ten years, so that together we can realise the vision and support a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport