Bus fare cap trial gets underway
SINGLE bus fares in Shetland will drop to a maximum to £2 from today (Friday) as part of a 12-month pilot scheme to make public transport more attractive and affordable.
The £2 cap will make longer bus journeys across the isles significantly cheaper such as on the well-used routes from Hillswick, Mossbank and Sumburgh to Lerwick.
Other parts of the Highlands and Islands will follow soon in the initiative which has been a flagship policy of the Scottish Greens.
Chair of the Shetland transport partnership ZetTrans), councillor Moraig Lyall, said she hopes the cap will encourage more people to use the bus rather than the car to travel.
“It’s exciting to be involved in this pilot project capping bus fares which will ensure no one pays more than £2 for a bus journey in Shetland,” she said.
“We’ve discussed for some time what difference altering the fare structure would make in the uptake of using buses in Shetland and this pilot will help answer that question.
“I would hope that more people would see the bus as an affordable alternative to their car and those without their own transport will be enabled to travel more frequently.”
Announcing the start of the initiative, Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a key budget commitment and was recommended by the Scottish Government’s Fair Fares Review as another way to make public transport more available, accessible and affordable.
“Our public transport system is a key enabler for growth and opportunity, helping people and communities to connect to jobs, education, retail, public services, leisure, social and family networks.”
People aged under 22 and folk over 60 can already travel for free on buses, as well as those who meet a disability criteria.
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