The take-up figures from young people eligible for free bus travel across South Ayrshire are “dire,” according to a Labour MSP.
South Scotland Labour List MSP, Colin Smyth, says the figures show the scheme is ‘failing miserably.’
Mr Smyth, who is Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy, Transport and Rural Affairs, has criticised the SNP Government’s “botched” young person’s bus pass scheme.
Data obtained by Scottish Labour reveal that more than 70 per cent of eligible young people still don’t have a pass.
It comes four months after the flagship scheme was launched — and two years after it was first announced.
In South Ayrshire, only 18.1 per cent of the area’s 19,100 eligible young people have a pass.
This equates to just 3,451 passes.
Smyth has called for the process to be ‘streamlined’ and for councils across Scotland to be supported by the Scottish Government in the implementation of the scheme.
He said: “Free bus passes for young people should have been a good news story but these dire figures are a humiliation for the SNP and the Greens, who have spent years talking about this card but still failed miserably to deliver it.
“The botched scheme is a huge missed opportunity, which could have unlocked opportunities for children and young people, eased the cost of living crisis for families, and helped us tackle the climate emergency.
“Instead, the SNP’s rampant incompetence has let a rare good news story descend into chaos – and it is young people who are paying the price.
“The Scottish Government must streamline the process and support other Councils to end the postcode lottery.”
All young people and children aged 5-21 years can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme, which began on 31 January 2022.
Children under 5 years old already travel for free on buses and don’t need a card. Applications for cards are open.
A spokesperson for transport minister Jenny Gilruth said Scotland was in the grip of the Omicron variant when the scheme launched and this had affected it.
The spokesperson added: “In January of this year Scotland, like many other nations, was in the grip of the Omicron variant. Of course this impacted on the rollout of the under-22s scheme initially.
“Nevertheless, since the end of January, over six million journeys have been made and over 300,000 cards issued under the new scheme.”
Gilruth’s spokesperson added that a number of changes had been made to the online application process, adding: “The transport minister has said that she will continue to monitor the situation and is not ruling out making further changes to the scheme if that is what is needed.”
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