The Scottish Tories are calling for a plan to bring back peak fares on Scotland’s railways to be scrapped – calling them “brutal and unjustified”.
The Scottish Government announced a pilot scheme last year to examine removing higher fares at peak times.
It was hoped that this would boost numbers on ScotRail trains, but the amount of passengers has fallen short of making the cheaper fares pay for themselves.
The pilot will come to an end on September 27. What do you think? Should peak fares be scrapped again or should travel be subsidised by the Scottish Government?
Vote now in our online poll.
READ MORE:
- ScotRail peak fares to be brought back in September
- Scottish Government's ScotRail peak train fares call: what drove it?
Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said:
“Reintroducing peak fares represents a kick in the teeth to long-suffering train users.
“The SNP Government say they are desperate to get commuters out of their cars and on to public transport as part of the push to net zero – but doubling the cost of train tickets actively discourages that.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The peak fares removal pilot was a welcome incentive over the last 12 months, saving many passengers hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of pounds during the cost-of-living crisis.
“The subsidy required in the current financial climate means it cannot continue on the measure of saving money alone.”
The spokesperson added it had been a “challenging” period for rail travel but ministers hope services can “get back to normal soon”.
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