Better and cheaper travel is vital
Nearly 20,000 young people in Renfrewshire now have a card in their pocket which lets them travel for free on any bus in Scotland.
In the space of just a few years, this has gone from an idea I proposed to Scottish Green Party conference to a reality benefitting hundreds of thousands of young Scots.
With the cost-of-living crisis now really biting, I’m glad the Scottish Greens have been in a position to deliver a scheme which helps family budgets.
These bus passes are already a lifeline for many young workers, carers, students and others.
To access free bus travel, young people just need a new National Entitlement (Young Scot) card.
Anyone aged five to 21 who still hasn’t signed up can do so at any time at freebus.scot and I’d strongly encourage them to do so.
Under-16s will need an adult to apply for them.
You’ll need to provide a scan of ID and a proof of address, as well as a photograph that can be used for the card.
Buses are a vital part of our effort to reduce pollution and inequality and to recover from the pandemic.
Free travel for under 22s is one step in a longer journey to make Scotland’s public transport work for people and planet.
We’re also setting up a new fund to support councils which want to look into running their own local bus services.
And, in a really exciting development, from September we are removing peak-time rail fares.
This will save commuters hundreds of pounds and make travelling by train a far more attractive option.
Whether it’s buses and trains or active travel options like cycling, we are working to make green transport as easy, affordable, reliable and safe as possible.
The Scottish Greens want to see fare-free public transport for all eventually, as is the case in Estonia and Luxembourg – the latter being delivered by the country’s green party minister for transport.
It’s an achievable but ambitious goal, one which can’t be achieved overnight.
We’re already seeing the evidence that free bus travel goes hand-in-hand with improvements in provision and service.
Buses should be clean, green, accessible and operate on a timetable which meets the needs of local communities.
That must also mean improving bus stops to provide live timetables and shelters to ensure that those waiting can stay safe and dry, even in challenging winter weather.
So, if you have any suggestions for how local services can be improved, please get in touch.