r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	Scunnered20
Comment	>explain how a bus fare in LONDON is £1.75 no matter where you go The biggest fundamental difference is that the two cities' bus and wider transit systems are run entirely differently. Glasgow having had its municipally owned bus service broken up and privatised as a result of the [1985 Transport Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Act_1985) like every other UK city, while London retained an exemption allowing it to set up TfL. On the specific point about fare costs though, as far as I know London bus fares are massively subsidised by (local and national) government grants. That's to say, the bus service isn't by itself profit-making. The London Underground however does turn a profit, or at least did routinely up until Covid. I really don't know the ins and outs and happy to be corrected, but I had read revenue from Underground services part subsidises cheaper bus fares in London, though only in part. The significantly larger portion of bus fare subsidy coming from direct govt grants. The Scottish Parliament passed necessary legislation to repeal key aspects of the 1985 Transport Act just a few years ago. Scottish local authorities now have legal powers to set up their own municipal bus networks. Having the funding to do this is another matter entirely though.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/14sokqv/first_glasgow/jqyh9um/
Created	Fri 7th Jul 2023 12:36am
Status	normal ()

>explain how a bus fare in LONDON is £1.75 no matter where you go

The biggest fundamental difference is that the two cities' bus and wider transit systems are run entirely differently. Glasgow having had its municipally owned bus service broken up and privatised as a result of the [1985 Transport Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Act_1985) like every other UK city, while London retained an exemption allowing it to set up TfL.

On the specific point about fare costs though, as far as I know London bus fares are massively subsidised by (local and national) government grants. That's to say, the bus service isn't by itself profit-making. The London Underground however does turn a profit, or at least did routinely up until Covid. I really don't know the ins and outs and happy to be corrected, but I had read revenue from Underground services part subsidises cheaper bus fares in London, though only in part. The significantly larger portion of bus fare subsidy coming from direct govt grants.

The Scottish Parliament passed necessary legislation to repeal key aspects of the 1985 Transport Act just a few years ago. Scottish local authorities now have legal powers to set up their own municipal bus networks. Having the funding to do this is another matter entirely though.