First Bus has announced it will give away free coffees to commuters who have been subject to newly reintroduced peak train fares - months after it hiked its own prices by an above-inflation figure.
On Tuesday, October 1, the bus operator will invite Glasgow commuters to enjoy a complimentary brew outside Glasgow Central Station as part of its ‘Fare’s Fair’ campaign, from popular local coffee shop, Sexy Coffee.
It comes after the reintroduction of peak fares to ScotRail following the Scottish Government's decision to scrap a pilot scheme which eliminated them.
Graeme MacFarlan, Commercial Director of First Bus Scotland, said: “While we’re happy that Glasgow commuters are choosing to travel by public transport, bus offers a fantastic option for commuters.
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"With the reintroduction of peak rail pricing, we wanted to brighten commuters’ days by providing a warm coffee to help them on their journey, whether that be by bus, train or foot.
“Our goal is to show commuters and travellers that taking the bus is an affordable, reliable and economical choice, and with First Bus, they can always count on a fair fare.”
In July, however, First Bus itself announced it would be increasing prices in Glasgow by more than the rate of inflation, having promised to freeze them in its annual review in March.
The changes meant adult two-trip city/local tickets movde from £5 to £5.20 (+4%); the adult FirstWeek city/local tickets rose from £20.40 to £22.50 (+10.3%), and the adult First4Week city/local tickets increased from £61.80 to £70 (13.2%).
Some ScotRail commuters will see their costs almost double as peak fares return on Monday.
The decision to scrap the trial has been heavily criticised, with the Scottish Government saying passenger numbers hadn't increased enough to make the scheme self-financing.
Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “The return of peak rail fares is a short-sighted and damaging climate dead-end that hits commuters and the climate alike.
"While rail passengers are punished, thousands of private jets continue to soar above Scotland, spewing unnecessary pollution, virtually without penalty.
“Scottish ministers must lift their eyes to the skies to find bold but fair solutions – such as a tax on private jets – to fund essential climate action, like green travel, investing in a fairer future for all of us.”
ASLEF organiser Kevin Lindsay said: "Restoring peak fares is a disastrous, short-sighted decision by the Scottish Government. Scotland needs a world class class rail service and a central part of that is to make rail travel affordable, accessible and attractive to passengers and for those who want and need to use our railways more.
“Affordable rail travel will help people make that modal shift from road to rail and help Scotland meet our targets to reduce C02 emissions. How on earth can Scotland meet our climate targets if it makes rail travel, the most environmentally sustainable way to travel, unaffordable for huge swathes of the Scottish population?
“The economic impact for workers from restoring peak fares is equally catastrophic. Peak fares are no more than a tax on workers and they will feel the extra cost at a time where their personal finances are already under considerable pressure. The knock on effect of this decision will be workers having less to spend in their local areas, which will also impact businesses and local economies across Scotland.
“The Scottish Government has not properly thought this decision through. We implore them to think again and find the investment, in their next budget, that is needed to help protect and grow our economy at the same time as giving Scotland a chance to meet the Government's own climate targets and their target to reduce car travel by 2030."
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