Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2025
I accept that, and I take the point on board, but some people will still require a card.
Our train stations should be accessible and appealing to visit. The new Dundee station is a good example of that, but the nearby Broughty Ferry station has many issues to address. When the train arrives, only one door opens, which causes problems for everyone, but particularly for people with mobility needs. That causes delays, and subsequent connections in Dundee are missed. A refurbished cafe unit has sat empty for years, and an underpass that is used to access the south platform resembles a scene from “The Walking Dead”. That is not good enough.
We need a total package to improve the usage of public transport. We also need to improve access by extending the Borders railway to Carlisle and by opening new stations in places including Winchburgh, Renfrew, Cove and Newtonhill. Likewise, let us put some life back into the railways by reopening stations and lines, such as Aberdeen’s links to the central belt, in order to serve more communities. Let us dual the main Highland line, and let us get that direct line from Perth to Edinburgh. Again, those things are about making travel easier and more accessible.
Cleaner, more reliable and more affordable public transport does not just happen. It takes effort to provide options that people actually want, to make them accessible and to persuade people to use them. I want to see that happen in Scotland.
16:36