ScotRail peak fares must be permanently scrapped, demand unions and environmental groups

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scottish trade unions and environmental groups have joined together to demand an end to peak rail fares. Unions STUC, RMT, TSSA, Unite and ASLEF alongside climate groups Friends of the Earth Scotland, Get Glasgow Moving and Just Transition Partnership have written a joint letter to Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop urging her to reverse the return to peak rail pricing.The SNP Government announced last month that it would end the pilot on abolishing peak rail fares over claims the policy favours the better off.The pilot, which saved commuters thousands of pounds, will end on September 27 and lead to massive price rises.

A day return ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh will rise from £16.20 to £31.40 - a near 100 per cent rise.The unions and environmental groups have launched a new campaign called ‘Past its Peak: End Scotland’s Peak Fare Pricing’.

They called the decision to reinstate peak fares "inexplicable" and called for the SNP Government to show they’re “committed” to sustainable transport and the funding of Scotland’s public services.The STUC had previously said the move to reinstate peak fares made a “mockery” of the Scottish Government’s climate and sustainable travel ambitions.

STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said: “Ending an ultimately successful trial of removing peak rail fares shows a clear lack of foresight from the Scottish Government and fundamentally weakens any ambitions they have on climate, sustainable travel, or upholding standards in our public services."As it stands, workers will simply be unable to afford their commute to work whilst this inexplicable tax on travel remains in place."Our campaign, representative of the trade union, environmental and sustainable travel movement across