The age at which future generations of Scots receive a free bus pass could rise, the Scotsman reported.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf announced a wide-ranging public consultation, which includes questions around the national travel concession scheme which offers Scotland-wide travel to the over 60s on local, registered or scheduled long-distance services.
The pass is coming under increasing financial scrutiny as life expectancy increases and people stay in employment longer. The Scottish Government draft budget on concessionary travel of £207.8m for 2016-17 is set to be cut by £9.5m for the year 2017-18.
However, Humza Yousaf stressed that existing holders would retain their bus passes and said he wanted to extend the scheme to modern apprentices and groups of people who were in “the most need.”
He said: “If you’ve got a free bus pass you will continue to have it. What we have said is that we want to extend the national travel scheme to some young people, that are in the most need. But clearly people are living longer, they are staying in work longer – which are all good things – but it does add a pressure.”
