By 1919 staff
Giving officers the time to hop on and off buses would help tackle the rise in antisocial behaviour, according to Scotland’s police federation.
The organisation, which represents the rank-and-file, also wants free bus passes for off-duty cops, recognising that they often intervene in incidents even when they have no obligation to do so.
There are growing concerns about the level of abuse and attacks on public transport, with critics blaming the Scottish Government’s free bus pass scheme for under 22s.
The proposal has won support from Scotland’s main opposition parties, while the Scottish Government said it was a management decision for the police force.
Antisocial behaviour on Lothian Buses, which serves Edinburgh and the surrounding regions, increased by nearly a fifth last year.
There were 2,472 incidents recorded throughout 2024/25, compared to 2,072 the year before.
Dozens of Lothian drivers were also assaulted, while passenger-on-passenger attacks occurred on 123 occasions.
In Elgin, bus driver Keith Rollinson tragically died of a cardiac arrest following an attack by a teenage boy in 2024.
At the end of last year, ministers unveiled new powers to suspend or withdraw concessionary travel for users who breach a forthcoming ‘code of conduct’.
There have also been calls to deploy bus wardens across the country to restore order.
But the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, David Kennedy, said increasing the visibility of officers on board buses would act as a deterrent.
“Ensuring that buses and trains are safe is a core public safety issue, not simply a transport matter,” he said.
“From a Scottish policing perspective, allowing officers to travel on duty on buses, and providing free travel when off duty, is a practical and preventative measure that aligns directly with the principles of modern policing in Scotland.
“A uniformed officer on a bus in Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, or a rural route in the Borders provides immediate reassurance and a strong deterrent to antisocial behaviour.”
He added: “Scottish policing often involves long shifts, extended travel times, and late-night working – particularly for officers covering custody duties, events, football matches, or court commitments far from home divisions.
“Ensuring that buses and trains are safe is a core public safety issue, not simply a transport matter”
David Kennedy, SPF general secretary
“Providing free travel when off duty recognises that officers frequently travel at unsociable hours when buses and trains are most vulnerable to disorder.
“Officers routinely intervene while off duty – dealing with assaults, safeguarding vulnerable people, and supporting transport staff – despite having no obligation to do so.
“Free travel is not a benefit; it is a modest acknowledgment of a responsibility officers already shoulder in the public interest.”
A recent survey of 1,100 bus drivers by Unite the union found that 84 per cent are reporting increased levels of abuse at work.
The government’s new code of conduct will “set clear standards for respectful and responsible behaviour when travelling by bus using the NCTS [national concessionary travel schemes].
Suspension of a pass will not prevent a person from paying to travel on a bus, although operators have the right to refuse service.
A report from the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour said ministers should consider replicating trial projects in England which involved the deployment of transport safety officers or ‘bus wardens’.
Writing for 1919 Magazine last May, co-chairs Lorraine Gillies and Fiona Dyer said: “There is no simple, easy solution, but the evidence shows us that antisocial behaviour is preventable, and we call on the Scottish Government to take action now to deliver this.”
Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said “Under the SNP frontline policing is under huge pressure and communities have been left feeling less safe.
“We need a real plan to put a stop to antisocial behaviour and crime on buses in Scotland.
“Scottish Labour will make sure anyone using their bus pass for criminal or antisocial behaviour loses it, and we will boost visible policing by delivering a dedicated community police officer in every ward in Scotland.”
Scottish Conservative community justice spokeswoman Sharon Dowey added: “Police officers have proved time and again that when they have the time to engage with young people in communities, they make a real difference.
“But that time and opportunity has been taken from them amid savage cuts to resources.
“By giving officers a chance to hop on and off buses, they’d be able to act when there’s trouble, and it would send a tough message to those who wreak havoc on public transport.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who has the flexibility to develop and deploy her workforce to best keep our communities safe.
“We are investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025/26 – an uplift of £90 million from 2024/25.
“In December 2025, the Scottish Government set out secondary legislation to tackle anti-social behaviour on buses. The legislation gives ministers the power to suspend or withdraw concessionary travel for users who breach a forthcoming code of conduct.”
