Free Public Transport

The Scottish Socialist Party are having a week of action around the need for Free Public Transport to reduce CO2 emissions, to deal with rising fuel costs and to reduce pollution. Transportation should be a public issue NOT a private one.

http://www.freepublictransport.org/

As fuel prices soar and the cost of transport continues to increase, the
time has never been better to introduce free public transport across
Scotland.

At a stroke, thousands will benefit by saving hundreds of pounds a year in
transport costs, and thousands more will be given the incentive to cut car
journeys and help reduce pollution.

Roads will be safer, with communities less isolated, as not only will public
transport be free but services will be dramatically improved to make sure
people have access to reliable bus, train and ferry services when they need
them.

Our bus and train services will need to be re-regulated and brought back
into public ownership. This will allow services to be integrated and to make
sure investment is there to improve services, not line shareholders’
pockets.

At a cost of £1billion per year, you may think this is too expensive. But
road accidents alone cost £1.4billion per year, and it is estimated that
traffic congestion costs £15-£20billion a year. Free fares will also
increase the spending power of over a million workers by between £40 and
£100 a month.

It will be the biggest single pro-environmental policy enacted by any
government anywhere on the planet. By dramatically slashing car-use and CO2
emissions it will reduce Scotland’s reliance on depleting oil reserves and
help to reduce levels of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
As it is mainly people on low incomes who rely on public transport,
free-fares will eat into Scotland’s horrific levels of poverty.