A ScotRail fares hike will cause “misery” for passengers already struggling with the cost of living, the SNP Government has been warned.
The country’s largest rail operator announced today fares will increase by four per cent from April 1, which comes after a nine per cent increase last year.
ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, warned rail travel was becoming “unaffordable for many”.
ScotRail was brought back under public control in 2022 as part of a wider attempt to encourage more people to use public transport.
The Scottish Government has a target of reducing car journeys by 20 per cent by the end of the decade – but was this week warned “minimal progress” had been made.
Mark Ruskell, Scottish Greens transport spokesman, said: “These hikes will cause misery for commuters. If we want rail to be the first and best option for regular journeys then it has to be affordable and accessible for all.
“When the Scottish Greens were in government we secured the removal of peak rail fares, only for the SNP to bring them back as soon as we were out of the room.
“With household budgets being stretched to their limits, workers and regular commuters across our country are looking to find the cheapest ways to travel. These hikes will only deter people from using trains.
“If we want safer and cleaner communities and less cars on our roads then we need to cut the cost of public transport. That is how we will encourage more commuters to leave their cars at home and hop on the train or bus, while benefiting people and planet.”
Kevin Lindsay, ASLEF Scottish organiser, said: “ScotRail raising fares in the same week that Audit Scotland Scotland reported that the Scottish Government is likely to miss its targets to reduce car use by 2030, illustrates again how their transport and environmental policy is all over the place.
“All the more galling for passengers is that this increase comes just a few short months after peak fares were restored, which made rail travel unaffordable for many.
“Just at the time ScotRail and the Scottish Government need to make rail travel more affordable and accessible they are doing the opposite. Resulting in passengers paying through the nose and climate targets continuing to be missed.”
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Government wanted to encourage more people on to public transport and had kept the increase “as low as possible”.
She said: “From April 1, all ScotRail fares will increase by 3.8 per cent, including season tickets and flexipasses.
“We want more people to choose to travel by public transport for work, study and leisure, but we know that people are still struggling with cost-of-living pressures and don’t always see public transport as affordable or attractive.
“That is why we have kept the rise this year as low as possible, while also supporting the generation of sufficient revenue to help maintain existing services, and contribute towards investment in infrastructure and fleets.”
The increase is lower than the 8.7 per cent which came into force last year, but remains above the 2.5 per cent rate of inflation seen in December.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, clickhere