Climate change: ScotRail's planned cuts to services will only increase carbon emissions as people use cars instead – Neil Findlay
Getting people out of their private cars and onto public transport is often stated as the transport priority of Scottish ministers. But like much of what the Scottish government says, their rhetoric does not quite meet with reality.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLast month ScotRail launched a consultation on their new proposed timetable. Central to this is a plan to cut 300 services a day from the pre-pandemic timetable.
This would see fewer services for communities across the country, ticket offices closed and jobs threatened, but it would also inevitably force people back into their cars, increasing emissions yet further.
Inexplicably, transport minister Graeme Dey has fully endorsed this approach, all on the eve of the Cop26 conference in Glasgow – timing is everything!
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn just six months’ time, Abellio who currently run Scotland’s failing railway will be stripped of the ScotRail franchise due to their appalling mismanagement of services.
They are currently in the unprecedented position of being in dispute with all four rail unions at the same time – a complete failure to value the key workers who kept the country moving and risked their health during the pandemic.
Their stewardship of the railway has been a disaster and is yet more evidence that privatisation and franchising has failed.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFollowing a long campaign by passenger campaign groups and unions, Scotland will soon thankfully move to a new system with a publicly owned rail operator.
This offers a huge opportunity to develop a railway that is run in the public interest, not for shareholder profit. To build a railway that is clean, green, reliable, frequent, affordable, well staffed and the pride of our nation's public transport system.
But if this is to happen the threat to services, ticket offices and jobs must be withdrawn. Graeme Dey and the Scottish government have a choice – step up and show leadership or roll over and watch as our railways further decline whilst emissions rise.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdNeil Findlay is a former Labour MSP and is now a director of social enterprise Unity Consulting
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.
If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.