Tories challenge ministers over ‘public transport deserts’

Ministers have been challenged to reduce the number of Scots living in “public transport deserts” as MSPs raised concerns about cuts to bus services.

Conservatives and Labour both hit out at the Scottish Government during a Holyrood debate on buses, with Tory MSP Graham Simpson saying “failing services” are having a “detrimental impact on everyday lives” for many.

Raising the plight of those who live in areas without reliable bus or rail links, the Conservative said: “Too many people live in public transport deserts, places likes Shotts where the bus service is patchy and on a Sunday virtually non-existent.”

Statistics show bus passenger numbers have more than halved since the SNP came to power, with 234 million journeys in 2021-22 compared to 487 million in 2007-08.

Meanwhile the fleet of buses in Scotland has plummeted from 5,400 to 3,700 over the same period, while fares have been hiked in several parts of the country – including by as much as 15% by both Stagecoach West and Stagecoach East of Scotland.

Mr Simpson said Scots can only “look south with envy at their £2 fare cap”, which covers many journeys in England and has now been extended until October.

Calling for action from ministers, Mr Simpson said: “With our failing bus services having a detrimental impact on everyday life, the Scottish Government can’t wait about any more.

“If we want to get people on to buses we need comprehensive routes, they need to be easy to use, and fares need to be simple and cheap.”

Labour’s Alex Rowley attacked the Scottish Government for “route cancellations, inflation-busting fare increases” and a lack of investment in bus services.

He added that “recent bus fare increases across the country are hitting during the cost-of-living crisis”, and are “a barrier for many people on low incomes trying to use buses”.

This, he said, is happening at the same time as “route cancellations across much of Scotland are isolating communities”.

Responding, transport minister Kevin Stewart stressed that “reliable, accessible and affordable public transport is a lifeline service for many across Scotland”.

He highlighted the “widespread and significant” free bus travel schemes available in Scotland, hailing these as the “most generous” in the UK.

Mr Stewart said: “Our support for bus services takes a number of forms.

“In particular our national free bus travel schemes for young people and for older and disabled people are the most generous in the UK.

“These schemes cover a larger percentage of the population than anywhere else in the UK, with up 2.6 million people eligible for free bus travel in Scotland.

“That is encouraging more people to choose the bus and is helping us to meet our net-zero targets by encouraging a shift away from cars.”

With a free bus travel scheme for Scots under the age of 22 having launched last year, Mr Stewart said two-thirds of eligible youngsters have signed up for it, “representing a new card holder every minute since the scheme launched in January 2022”.

He urged those MSPs calling for a cap on fares to “acknowledge just how widespread and significant our free fare support has become”.