Ministers act to remove free bus passes from badly behaved travellers

The Scottish Government will next month legislate for a scheme to take free travel passes away from those responsible for anti-social behaviour on buses.

Connectivity minister Jim Fairlie told MSPs “detailed work is progressing” on a behaviour code for those who have the passes, as well as on a process for suspending travel cards.

He added that early next month the Scottish Government will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation at Holyrood.

It comes after Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed last year that ministers were exploring legal means to suspend concessionary bus passes from people who behave badly on board.

Mr Fairlie, speaking during a debate at Holyrood on Wednesday, said the First Minister’s Programme for Government had “prioritised” the move.

Travel passes could be taken away either on a temporary or permanent basis “as a result of anti-social behaviour when using the card”, the minister added.

While he stressed the “vast majority” of bus passengers behave responsibly, he added: “There is a minority of people of all ages who act in a way which can result in harm to bus employees and to passengers, and that is simply not acceptable.

“Anti-social behaviour on the bus network is something we are determined to address.

“Detailed work is progressing on a behaviour code, robust impact assessments and a process for suspension, enabling secondary legislation due to be laid in Parliament on December 4 this year.

“It is simply not acceptable for drivers or passengers to have to put up with anti-social behaviour, and this should send a clear message to the small minority that action will be taken and they will lose that privilege if they continue to use that anti-social behaviour.”

Labour’s Claire Baker welcomed the action, saying it came over a year after MSPs backed a Labour call for bus passes to be removed from people of any age who are “repeatedly carrying out anti-social behaviour”.

She said: “I am pleased to hear from the minister we have a date of December 4 when the Government intend to bring forward regulations that would make some progress on this.”