Minister says fare hike is unwelcome
BY KATRINE BUSSEY UNDER-PRESSURE Scottish Goverment transport minister Michael Matheson admitted yesterday that Scotrail ticket price hikes were “unwelcome” for travellers.
But he suggested there wasn’t much his Government could do about it as rail fares are already subsidised and freezing prices at current levels could cost the taxpayer an extra £58million.
The average cost of train tickets in Scotland increased by 2.8 per cent at the turn of the year.
Pressed on whether there will continue to be annual price hikes, Matheson said: “That is how the whole of the fare structure within the UK for our rail system operates, on an annual basis with there being increases in January.”
He added: “I recognise that the annual increase in rail fares is something which is often unwelcome, particularly when we are going through a period when the rail franchise operator Abellio have not been performing to the levels which we expect.”
Scotrail have said about 85 per cent of its revenue comes from fares set by the Scottish Goverment which decides how much they should charge.
Matheson was speaking on a BBC Radio Scotland programme which featured Mick Hogg of the RMT union. He said Scotland’s train travellers are “sick to the back teeth of a rail service that is not working”.
He added: “Passengers are getting ripped off with crowded trains, cancelled trains and not enough staff to run the trains.”