BUS operators will be paid almost £200m for free bus pass journeys next year.

The Scottish Government has agreed a deal with the bus industry that sees them paid 57% of a standard single journey for every trip recorded under the concessionary travel scheme.

Humza Yousaf, Transport Minister, said the scheme provided vital support for older and disabled people giving free bus travel all over Scotland.

He told MSPs on the Local Government and connectivity Committee there were major benefits and that it was affordable for the government.

The deal sees a cap of £196.1m imposed on payments for 2017/18, however if the claims go above that there will be negotiations and the government may be prepared to pay more.

In Glasgow there are 126,000 concessionary travel pass holders, mostly in the over 60’s category, with 96,400 eligible and the remainder split between disabled, visually impaired people and their travelling companions.

The deal means for a single trip that would normally cost £2.15, the bus firm gets £1.22.

Mr Yousaf said: “It is generally believed there is major health and social benefits” from the scheme.

He said: “Older people greatly appreciate it and fair to operators and affordable to the taxpayer.”

The deal with bus firms he said was agreed on the basis that bus operators should be “no better or worse off” through participating in the scheme.

The deal was approved by the committee and comes as it emerged that bus use has fallen across Scotland.

Local bus trips have fallen by 3% across Scotland over the last five years but by 5% in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

In 2015/16 the number of passenger journeys in Scotland by bus was 409million. A fall from 430m in 2010/11 and down even more from 2007/08 when it was 487m journeys in the year.

The drop in Scotland is higher than that in the rest of the UK.

Opposition parties said the Scottish Government has failed to promote bus travel effectively and has allowed routes to be axed.

John Finnie, Greens transport spokesman, said: “Perhaps it’s little wonder, that there has been a steady decline in bus use throughout Scotland, given how many of us have come to expect long waits for delayed and non-existent buses and how poorly services here compare with other cities in the UK and Europe.

“The re-regulation of buses would stop companies cherry-picking profitable routes and leaving communities stranded.”

Should all over 60s get free bus pass?  What do you think?