Meeting of the Parliament 27 November 2024
Members who have spoken in the debate so far have rightly stressed that it is a minority that causes the problems, but I suggest that it is a growing minority. The more that people who cause problems such as vandalism and threats, including physical threats, get away with it, with nothing happening to them, the more that it happens, not just on buses but in bus stations. I am told that it was pandemonium a few weeks ago in Dunfermline bus station. Therefore, action needs to be taken.
When I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on 16 August, I did so because some of the stories that bus drivers were telling me were horrendous. People were going off work sick because of stress, and it was having an impact on their families as well. The current situation is not good enough. We cannot simply say that we looked at the issue a year ago because, in my view, not enough progress has been made.
In a briefing that it sent to all members, the Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland said that it agreed that the right to free travel under the young person’s free travel scheme should be suspended or removed in cases in which individuals repeatedly carry out antisocial behaviour, and that there must be penalties in place for those who commit abuse. It went on to say that it made that request of Transport Scotland in the summer of 2023 and that it continues to raise the matter with the Scottish Government. The confederation then said that it understood that there were legal issues and that it hoped that ministers might shed some light on them today.
That request was made more than a year and a half ago. For problems to continue is just not good enough. That must be today’s message—it is good that we are having the debate, but we must move beyond talking and start to take action.
In her speech, the cabinet secretary pointed out that a lot of the issues depend on the bus companies. However, the Government is putting millions upon millions of pounds into those companies. I wrote to the cabinet secretary about Unite’s 15-point plan and asked her to call a summit and to use the plan as the basis for discussions. De-escalation training must be given to all staff—surely the Government can put pressure on the companies to do that. All buses must be fitted with robust safety screens—again, the Government can put pressure on companies around that. CCTV on buses must be working—an audit must be carried out in all locations, and a weekly check must be carried out thereafter. CCTV must be in good working order in all bus stations and must cover all parts of a bus station.