COP26 legacy needs to be free transport for residents
Affordability of services under scrutiny
PUBLIC transport in Glasgow should be free as the legacy of COP26 being held in the city, campaigners have said. The Get Glasgow Moving group, environmentalists and trade unionists joined a protest and rally in George Square to call for a radical transport revolution in the city.
The free travel pass given to everyone attending COP while many citizens struggle with rising fares has heightened the awareness of travel issues in Glasgow.
Yesterday was Transport Day at COP26 with a focus on switching from petrol and diesel cars and lorries to electric vehicles to reduce emissions.
In Glasgow people wanted to focus on public transport as a way of combating climate change.
Ellie Harrison of Get Glasgow
Moving said: “The legacy of COP26 we can deliver is free integrated public transport.
“It is the only way we can tackle the climate emergency.”
Union representatives backed the calls and said transport in Glasgow is not affordable to many people in the city.
Stuart Graham of Glasgow City Unison branch said: “It costs £4.70 for an all-day bus ticket – for somebody on benefits or low pay it’s a choice of food or transport.”
The COP ticket gives free public transport on buses, trains and the Subway to and from the SEC from anywhere in Scotland for pass holders.
The same pass works on the ticketing systems of all three modes of transport.
Holders place it on the card reader on the bus or tap the barrier gates at train and Subway stations and they are allowed to enter with no ticket produced. There have been calls for an integrated transport ticket for Glasgow for many years, but there was always some problem with integration of different services raised. Councillor Martin Bartos, chair of transport body SPT, said it can be done if the political will exists and government funding is provided.
He said: “It requires government investment. It’s been possible for a long time.
“There’s been challenges but they have always been surmountable. What is different (with the COP pass) is the money spent by the UK and Scottish governments.” Gavin Thomson, of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said transport needs to be publicly owned. He told the rally: “Running public transport for profit in a climate emergency is bananas.
“Unless they are talking about ownership and control, the people talking about public transport are not credible.”
Free public transport is available in some other cities in the world and has been trialled in some others.
Tallinn, in Estonia, a city with a population of 420,000, has offered free bus travel since 2013.
An audit after three years found bus passengers increased from 55% to 63%, while car journeys dropped slightly, from 31% to 28%. It was later extended across Estonia.
Luxembourg has also introduced free public transport.
Many other smaller cities in Europe have offered a form of free public transport over the last 20 years.