Scottish Greens are calling for the Scottish Government to support North Ayrshire bus services

West of Scotland list MSP Ross Greer believes local bus services should be brough back into public ownership, like the successful Lothian Buses in Edinburgh.

The call was made following the publication of figures by the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre, showing that in the 20 years of devolution bus fares have rocketed by almost 80% and bus use has fallen by 15%.

A peak return ticket with Stagecoach from Fairlie to Greenock costs £10.

Scottish Green MSP for the West of Scotland Ross Greer said: “People are fed up with poor bus services in North Ayrshire. For too long private operators have been able to cherry pick the most profitable routes, leaving many communities cut off.

“It’s no wonder that passenger numbers continue to fall when fares are at a record high.

“The Greens launched a Better Buses campaign to give councils more powers to run local bus services, improving reliability and fares. That campaign led to these powers being included in the recently passed Transport Bill.

“They and SPT now need support from the Scottish Government to ensure all communities can be served by a quality, integrated, transport network fit for the 21st century.”