Finnie Urges Cap On Cost Of Bus Commutes
John Finnie MSP, Transport spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today (11 Dec) urged Scottish Ministers to explore capping the cost of bus season tickets after discovering that some commuters are spending up to 17.7 per cent of their income getting from A to B.
Scottish Greens support re-regulation of buses to stop companies cherry-picking profitable routes. Greens also want to see free bus passes extended to unpaid carers.
Analysis by John Finnie shows that even when regular bus travellers take advantage of season ticket deals, some are paying a significant proportion of their income, with the cost of an annual ticket varying wildly between £501 and £1,944, depending on the operator.
John Finnie, Transport spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said:
"People across Scotland rely on buses to get them to their work, as well as shopping, seeing friends and relatives and attending medical appointments. The cost that some commuters have to bear is simply too high.
"We need to see action from the Scottish Government to limit the cost of regularly taking the bus. All too often people have to commute from suburbs and rural areas into our cities to work, and they should not be penalised for the fact they take the bus.
"For too long buses have been left to commercial interests when public transport is clearly a public service and should be run as such. Pressure is growing on Scottish Ministers to make this a priority and Greens will continue to push for action to protect and improve Scotland's bus services."