he Scottish Liberal Democrat chief has referred to as for the Scottish Authorities to increase its three-month rail fare freeze for the remainder of the yr.
The choice was made final yr by outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to freeze ScotRail fares till the top of March 2023 to help rail customers throughout the ongoing cost-of-living disaster.
The freeze is about to run out on March 31 however the Scottish Authorities is but to substantiate what’s going to occur to fares from April 1.
ScotRail fares are sometimes topic to an annual inflation-linked improve which takes impact in January.
Rail customers are nervous they might be hit with shock fare rises
As a part of its response to the cost-of-living disaster, the Scottish Authorities promised a freeze lasting three months.
Scottish Liberal Democrat chief Alex Cole-Hamilton is now calling for the freeze to be prolonged.
He stated: “Rail customers are nervous they might be hit with shock fare rises in lower than per week until the Authorities leaps into motion.
“It’s fully unacceptable that this deadline has been allowed to creep nearer and nearer with none readability about the way forward for fares.
“I’m calling for this freeze to be prolonged to the top of the yr to guard rail customers throughout this cost-of-living disaster.
“Up till now the Scottish Authorities’s guarantees to rail customers have been as strong as steam.
“As an example, final yr’s flagship sale lower the worth of fewer than 1% of tickets bought. Passengers deserve a concrete date for the removing of peak fares too.
“Now that ScotRail is in public palms we want long-term ticketing options to encourage individuals to depend on rail journey, backed by trains that truly run on time.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats will provide a public transport system that works for all communities, for all ages and for the local weather.
“That’s why we need to see fares lower, new choices for 2/three-day-a-week season tickets and for the Authorities to work with councils to discover new traces, significantly in areas the place public transport hyperlinks are poor.”
