Letters / Delivering a bus service that meets people’s needs
Improving public transport in Shetland is an issue close to my heart and I am very happy to see that SNP colleague Robbie McGregor and Alex Armitage of the Shetland Greens are looking at how to implement free bus travel across the islands.
With the cost-of-living crisis bighting hard into household budgets, forced car use caused by the lack of any viable alternative to move around the islands. This is something I would strongly support if elected.
The Westside needs more than just free bus travel though, if you can’t get to work before 9am, home from Lerwick after 5pm, or you can’t access flights without an overnight stay in Lerwick because feeder buses don’t actually exist, then no level of fare reduction will improve access.
There is not much advantage in a free bus if it only runs when people don’t need it.
Working with fellow councillors and ZetTrans to deliver a bus service that meets the needs of folk living in the Westside is essential if we are to make the use of public transport viable in our communities.
It’s time to work together and by doing so we can deliver public transport that works for the Westside and all of Shetland.
Zara Pennington
Candidate for Shetland West
