A Lanarkshire MSP has urged the Scottish Government to scrap ‘peak fare’ railway ticket options which she describes as unfair.
Currently, passengers who travel before 9.30am on weekday pay extra on ScotRail trains.
The Scottish Government, after being questioned by Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon, has not ruled out the scrapping of the peak rail fees as part of its wider review into train fares.
Ms Lennon told Lanarkshire Live : “Peak train fares are unfair and should be abolished.
“The Scottish Government should abolish peak fares, as they are a tax on workers and others who have little choice over when they travel.
“This good idea is promoted by rail unions because it will help people with the cost crisis, whilst benefitting the economy and the environment.
“I will continue to raise this in the Scottish Parliament with SNP ministers, because costs are rising, and we need to ensure that commuters are protected from unfair charges this winter.
“A rail freeze from January to March 2023 is not enough to take the pressure off my constituents.”
In September, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that ScotRail fares will be frozen until at least March 2023.
The ScotRail franchise was brought into public ownership in April. The decision comes amid a severe cost-of-living squeeze.
This comes a year after Scotland’s Rail Unions published ‘A Vision for Scotland’s Railways’ which included ending peak fare ticket sub-charges.
Ms Lennon added: “The Scottish Government must listen to our rail unions to implement good policy.
"There are many key improvements that need to be made for our railways and ending peak fares is a great place to start.”
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