A ROW over who should be given free bus passes broke out yesterday as politicians traded insults over who was responsible for the funding crisis affecting the scheme.
The Tories and LibDems called for the entitlement age for free bus travel to be moved from 60 to 65, a move introduced in England by the previous UK Government to bring it in line with the raised retirement age.
But that was ruled out by the SNP, with James Dornan MSP insisting the party would maintain an "absolute commitment" to current users, including the disabled, those over 60 and veterans.
Labour, which had previously supported looking at an increased entitlement age, insisted it still supported the current entitlement age.
It comes after The Herald revealed yesterday that fares were likely to be jacked up even higher due to a funding shortfall of more than £7 million in the national concessionary travel scheme, with bus companies claiming that they are subsidising the policy.
First Glasgow unveiled fare rises of 28% for short journeys yesterday, with the cost of a trip of five stops or fewer up from 90p to £1.15.
Other fares are also set to increase, though not as steeply, while night bus tickets will be cut by 25%.
Richard Baker, Labour's Scottish transport spokesman, said the scheme was "under threat" from the SNP, which was not doing enough to halt fare rises.
"Not only are the SNP not doing enough to protect hard-pressed passengers, they seem to be doing everything in their power to discourage people from using buses," he said.
Transport Minister Keith Brown insisted that higher fuel costs – not rising demand for free travel – was the reason bus companies were putting up fares.
"The main reason for bus companies putting prices up is rising fuel costs, and we would urge the UK Government to take action on fuel prices," he said.
"The priority must be to ensure the concessionary scheme continues to provide free local and long distance bus travel for older and disabled people at any time of day, on any routes, for any number of journeys."
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