Scot Lib Dems comment on ScotRail fare hike
Responding to the news that the Scottish Government is reintroducing peak time ScotRail fares, with the price of the top ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh now rising by 8.6% to £31.40, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Daniel O’Malley said:
“This SNP government is doing everything it can to punish people for choosing a more sustainable form of travel.
“With key routes such as Glasgow to Edinburgh now being cheaper to drive, many commuters just won’t see the point in getting the train.
“ScotRail has been in public hands for more than two years. In that time, passengers have had to endure endless disruption all while rail fares continue to rise.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see a cheap, reliable and frequent rail service that can tempt people out of private cars and tackle the climate crisis. That’s why we would cut fares, create options for two/three-day a week season tickets and explore new lines, especially in areas which suffer from poor transport links.”
Lib Dems respond to Transport Minister’s comments on GMS
Responding to Fiona Hyslop’s interview on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, in which she said that the Scottish Government was “prepared to go back” to scrapping peak rail fares in the future, after announcing yesterday that it would be reinstating them, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Daniel O’Malley said:
“The SNP have no real plan or long-term vision for our rail network. All they can offer is ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes.’
“ScotRail has been in public hands for more than two years, but passengers have seen only delays, disruptions and fares that continue to shoot up and up.
“Scotland needs a rail service which is reliable and that everyone can afford to travel on. That's why Scottish Liberal Democrats would roll out more flexible ticketing options to bring down costs and encourage more people to use the network."