Scottish Green Party Debate: Better Bus Services

Mark Ruskell S6M-19632 That the Parliament agrees that communities across Scotland deserve affordable, accessible and reliable bus services; further agrees that more bus services across Scotland should be run in the public interest to improve services and reduce fares for all passengers; celebrates that 250 million bus journeys have been taken by young people in Scotland since the introduction of free bus travel for under-22s, and calls on the Scottish Government to expand free bus travel to more young people. Further details available for S6M-19632 Jim Fairlie S6M-19632.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-19632 in the name of Mark Ruskell (Better Bus Services), leave out from “calls” to end and insert “agrees that, should there be any expansion of free bus travel to more young people in the future, it must be affordable, sustainable and ensure accessibility, bearing in mind that the current cost of the free bus pass to under-22s is £200.5 million per year.” Further details available for S6M-19632.3 Sue Webber S6M-19632.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-19632 in the name of Mark Ruskell (Better Bus Services), leave out from "further agrees" to end and insert "recognises that competition is essential to keeping bus fares fair and reasonable; calls on the Scottish Government to enhance the reliability and punctuality of bus services through the greater interlinking of timetables and integrated ticketing across bus and rail providers; agrees that good road surfaces are essential to improve bus services; notes that communities across Scotland, but particularly in rural areas, struggle to access bus services, and urges the Scottish Government to take action to make buses safer and to expedite the process to remove bus passes from passengers who commit antisocial behaviour." Further details available for S6M-19632.2 Claire Baker S6M-19632.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-19632 in the name of Mark Ruskell (Better Bus Services), leave out from “, and calls” to end and insert "; believes that bus travel is vital to everyone in Scotland participating in the economy and is concerned by the reduction in bus routes across Scotland of 44% between 2006-07 and 2023-24; calls on the Scottish Government to shorten and simplify the franchising process, enabling local authorities to bring bus services under local public control and for them to operate in the public interest; further calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise using domestic bus manufacturers to support good, skilled jobs in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to act swiftly to make it possible to remove bus passes from those who engage in persistent abusive behaviour towards bus drivers and passengers." Further details available for S6M-19632.1