Campaigners have expressed frustration at ongoing delays to a public transport report first pledged as part of the SNP and Scottish Greens cooperation agreement.

In August 2021, as one of a raft of measures, the two parties agreed to examine the cost of public transport across Scotland to ensure equity and fairness for passengers.

Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop announced in November last year that the review would be published by the "end of the year".

However, the deadline for publishing the Fair Fares Review, as part of the Bute House Agreement, has now passed and campaigners are calling for answers.

Ellie Harrison of Get Glasgow Moving, a grassroots transport campaign group, said: "Surely this review could be done in a matter of weeks?

"But no – nearly two-and-a-half-years later – we are still waiting.

READ MORE: MSPs question expert on Glasgow's bus franchising prospects

"This is despite Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop announcing in November that the results would be published by the 'end of the year'.

"Now it’s January, and there’s still nothing.

"What is taking so long?

"In response to the cost of living crisis, England’s Department for Transport took urgent steps to cap all bus fares across the country at £2 – a scheme that was announced in September 2022, and has now been extended until the end of 2024."

Transport Scotland told The Herald the findings of the review have been reported "internally" and will be publicly available "in the coming weeks" but did not supply a specific date.

The Fair Fares review was promised as part of a wider pledge from the SNP and Scottish Greens agreement to consider public transport provision across Scotland and increase investment in public transport and active travel.

It was welcomed at the time by campaigners who have been pushing for a consistency of fare prices across the country, rather than the current patchwork of costs created by Scotland's network of private transport providers.

One oft-cited example is the flat £2 single fare on Lothian Buses, a publicly owned service, compared to £2.85 on a private First Bus in Glasgow.

Ms Harrison said some fares rise into "double digits" in rural areas, creating a "postcode lottery".

Ms Harrison added: "We were delighted when the Fair Fares Review was announced as a result of the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and Greens on August 20, 2021.

"We thought it could only lead to urgent action to regulate bus fares across the country.

"It had been obvious to us for years that bus fares in Scotland’s deregulated system were completely unfair.

"The starkest example being the £2 single fare charged on Edinburgh’s publicly-owned Lothian Buses, compared with the £2.85 Glaswegians must pay for an equivalent journey on privatised First Bus.

"Scots living in rural areas can be paying well into double digits on privatised bus services, if they’re lucky enough to still have a route nearby of course."

READ MORE: Can Manchester teach Scotland a thing or two about buses?

Labour MSP Paul Sweeney has been a vocal advocate for authorities to push forward with bus franchising in Glasgow using newly active powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Mr Sweeney said: "Glasgow has the lowest number of cars per household out of Britain’s 10 biggest cities.

"With a much larger dependence on public transport, Glasgow needs a reliable and - crucially - affordable bus service.

"Yet bus fares in Glasgow are the most expensive of any British city.

"We need to roll back the harmful decades of deregulation started by Margaret Thatcher in the 1985 Transport Act and bring about a franchised bus network."

A Scottish Labour amendment of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 gives powers to regional transport bodies, such as Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), to introduce a franchised bus network.

Mr Sweeney added: "Cities across the UK are shifting to a franchised bus network because it produces a more reliable and cheaper service for people.

"In Greater Manchester, the Metro Mayor Andy Burnham has capped fares at £2 for a single ticket — Glasgow can do the same.”

Campaigners now say, given the length of time it has taken to prepare, the report must be ambitious in scope and any findings implemented without delay.

Ms Harrison said: "Transport Scotland currently gives more than £320million in public subsidy to bus companies every year with little-to-no strings attached.

"All it needs to do – in return for this significant sum – is to stipulate the amount these companies are allowed to charge passengers.

"Scotland must end its postcode lottery over bus fares.

"This review must ensure that – no matter where you live in the country – you are guaranteed access to reliable and affordable bus services, that cost the same in Milton as they do in Morningside.

"We have waited so long to this now – we expect ambitious and urgent action when we finally see the results."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "The Fair Fares Review, which has been undertaken to consider options to address issues relating to the cost and availability of public transport services, has now reported its findings, recommendations, and proposed actions internally.

"These are being carefully considered by Ministers in the context of the Scottish Budget set out on December 19.

"The findings of the review will be published in the coming weeks.

"The NZET Committee was informed of this in December."