Assurances sought for Far North Line amid £2 bus fare cap
The Scottish Government did not assess the potential impact of its £2 bus fare cap on its own publicly owned rail services across the Highlands before rolling out the policy, it has been revealed.
In response to a Freedom of Information request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Transport Scotland stated that “no assessment of the potential competitive impact of the £2 Bus Fare Cap on rail services in the Highlands was undertaken” and that “there were no discussions held with ScotRail on this matter.”
The Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn MSP, has since confirmed in writing to Far North MSP David Green that the Scottish Government intends to continue “monitoring evidence from the fare cap scheme areas and considering the interaction between bus and rail services as part of the wider evaluation of the policy.”
Responding to the revelation, Ian Budd, Convener of the Friends of the Far North Line (FoFNL), said he was “very concerned about the effect on passenger numbers on the Far North Line of the blanket £2 bus-fare cap.”
He added: “Unlike the free bus travel available to under-22s and over-60s, the £2 cap applies to everyone, including visitors and tourists. It is ironic that the Scottish Government is effectively subsidising privately owned competition to its government-owned railway system.”
“The expected 25% decrease in rail use in Scotland, predicted by Transport Scotland, is extremely concerning. The Far North Line was already in need of substantial improvements, including measures to increase capacity and the provision of newer, more reliable rolling stock, in order to attract more passengers.”
Mr Budd also fears the £2 cap “mitigates against the likelihood of these improvements being deemed affordable” and urged policy makers to recognise that the Far North Line is “a wonderful asset, which the area it traverses is lucky to have.”
David Green, the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP, called on the Transport Secretary to assess the fare cap’s impact on the railway during exchanges at Holyrood last month.
He said: “The £2 fare cap is making a real difference to people across the Far North who rely on the bus, and I want to see it succeed.
“Our railway and our buses should be working together to offer more choice for passengers, but instead I fear they have quietly been set against each other. I am sure the government will not want to see people in the Highlands inadvertently end up with fewer services and less investment in our lifeline lines.
“I will therefore continue to engage with government so that we give our communities more say over where and when their buses run.
“I also urge ministers to not lose sight of the challenges of reliability on the Far North Line, the age of the Class 158s, and the opportunities for freight.”