Bus services in Scotland, a critical component of public transport, have struggled with poor coverage, lack of coordination, and declining usage since their privatization and deregulation in the 1980s. Although the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 empowers local authorities to take greater control, substantial and sustained improvements will likely require deeper systemic reforms. This case underscores the long-lasting challenges posed by neoliberal policies, which may also impact other sectors and regions. By focusing on the transport sector, we highlight four key aspects of just transitions as a legal concept—equity, timeframe, process, and legality—offering actionable insights for policymakers to create a fair and sustainable path forward.

Roisin Curran (Transport Scotland), David McArthur (School of Social & Political Sciences), Franziska Paul (Adam Smith Business School), and Mingzhe Zhu (School of Law) sat the panel and the session was moderated by Katarzyna Chalaczkiewicz-Ladna and Giedre Jokubauskaite, both from the School of Law at the University of Glasgow.

First published: 1 May 2025

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