Green Party leader Ross Greer and First Minister John Swinney.
by Bill Heaney
Free Bus Travel and cheaper rail travel are two of the significant achievements of the last Scottish Parliament.
And they are being used by Green politicians and the SNP to improve their chances of success at the election on May 7.
Ross Greer is not being shy about it.
“Between young people, older people and disabled people, almost half of all Scots can now use the bus for free. The Scottish Greens want to go further.
“We believe that Scotland can be like Malta and Luxembourg and offer free bus travel to everyone. Does the First Minister agree and, if not, what is his alternative to help people save money on their transport costs?”
First Minister John Swinney told him: “All those steps are very welcome, but the Government has also put in place a £2 bus fare cap, which is being taken forward in the Highlands and Islands to determine how it can operate.
“We have abolished peak rail fares, and we have frozen rail fares so that more people can use public transport.
“Those are some of the measures that the Scottish Government is taking to make sure that people can access public transport and have a much greater choice when doing so.”
“On top of that, we established Scotland’s first nature restoration fund, we brought in the emergency rent freeze, and we wiped out school meal debts for thousands of struggling families.
“Green MSPs have delivered changes that have saved families a fortune and protected our planet. We know that the solutions to the climate crisis and the cost-of-living crisis are the same.
“We were proud to work with the First Minister and the Scottish National Party to deliver those changes, because the Greens believe in co-operating to take Scotland forward.
“However, those ideas were all put on the table by Green MSPs in the first place. We brought forward bold, progressive ideas, and we worked to deliver them. What is the First Minister’s favourite of the changes that the Greens have delivered in this Parliament?”
Mr Swinney replied: “I am very pleased that the Government that I lead can afford a balanced budget that puts the money in place to deliver on our policy priorities.
“As a consequence, I am very proud that, because of the steps taken by this Government, child poverty in Scotland is falling.
“It is 9 per cent below the levels in the rest of the United Kingdom, and that is because of the leadership of an SNP Government.”