SNP must deliver on promise for simpler ticketing
The Scottish Greens are calling on the SNP Government to publish a plan and clear timeline for making integrated ticketing a reality across Scotland.
Greens have long called for a ‘tap-on, tap-off’ system to make bus, rail and ferry travel simpler and more affordable. During the election campaign, they set out plans for a nationwide integrated ticketing system for Scotland.
The system would guarantee daily fare caps and end the current patchwork of expensive, disconnected tickets across different operators. One system would allow people to pay for their whole journey, rather than buying separate tickets for each leg.
Earlier this month, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and Tourism Stephen Flynn MSP committed to accelerating progress on integrated ticketing, but gave no timeline or detail on the steps required to deliver it.
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and Tourism, Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“Scotland needs a public transport system that is joined up, affordable and easy to use if we want people to choose buses and trains for their everyday journeys.
“Integrated ticketing has been used across Europe for decades. We are not reinventing the wheel, we are asking Scotland to catch up. We are already falling behind other countries in delivering a system that makes public transport simpler for passengers.
“We need this kind of system for Scotland, to cut through the faff of buying multiple tickets for different parts of the same journey and dealing with different operators. People should be able to tap on and tap off with one ticket, whether they are taking a bus, train, Subway or ferry anywhere in Scotland.
“People have waited long enough. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to accelerate integrated ticketing, but warm words are not enough. We need to know what work has already been done, what remains to be delivered and when passengers will actually see the benefits.
“The First Minister must use the Programme for Government to set out a clear timeline for delivering integrated ticketing and finally make it a reality.”