Labour proposes move to end ‘rip-off ’ bus fares

A Holyrood move to allow Scotland’s bus services to be brought back into public ownership has been unveiled amid growing public anger over rising fares.

Labour says it plans to use the forthcoming Transport Bill to allow the “radical re-regulation” to end firms “cherry-picking” profitable routes.

Labourtransportspokesmancolinsmythsaid:“reregulation is needed to protect life line services.” He added it would also “put a stop to rip-off fares.”

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said the forthcoming legislation aims to “give local authorities the flexibility to pursue partnership working, local franchising, or running their own buses, allowing local authorities to better respond to local needs.”

A spokesman for bus industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport in Scotland said the real problems are falling public investment, low costs of car ownership and changing social patterns.

“Regulation won’t remedy these,” he said.