Transport Scotland have recently written to operators to advise them of the arrangements for their BSOG and Concessionary Fares schemes from 1 April 2019.

A copy of the letter can be found at the foot of this page – the main points to note are as follows:

BSOG

The underlying BSOG rate of 14.4 pence per kilometre (ppkm) is maintained, as is the rate of 17ppkm for sustainable biodiesel operations.

There will be four rates for new Low Carbon Vehicles (LCV) introduced after 1 April 2019, ranging from 5ppkm through to 30ppkm, each rate being dependent on the level of emissions that can be achieved by qualifying vehicles. For these new vehicles they will only be eligible for the LCV incentive for five years from the date of first claim.

For operators of existing LCV’s that have been claimed prior to 1 April 2019 they will continue to receive the current rate of 10.1ppkm, however this payment will also be limited to five years. Therefore buses that have already received the LCV incentive for five or more years will no longer be eligible.

We understand that Transport Scotland will be contacting operators over the next few months to request additional data for those LCV’s currently in operation and on order so that a database of qualifying vehicles can be established.

Concessionary Fares

The reimbursement rate for 2019/20 will be 56.5% of the adult single fare with the scheme capped at £213.65million. The rate for 2018/19 was 56.8%.

Transport Scotland have forecast that the Concessionary payments for 2018/19 will be around £206m. As this will exceed the cap of £202.1m, operators may receive reduced payments in period 13.

If you have any questions on the above please contact epm@epm-bus.com

The letter to operators from Transport Scotland can be viewed by clicking the following link:
TS BSOG Concessions Letter to Operators