NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall: peak fares are anti-student and anti-worker – they must be permanently scrapped
NUS Scotland today welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government that the pilot scheme scrapping peak rail fares is to be extended for a further three months, but said they must now go further to benefit students and workers.
NUS Scotland said the move indicates the strength of Scotland’s trade union, environmental, and student movements’ voices – and called for the peak rail fares to now be scrapped permanently.
Last week, following the Scottish Parliament’s confirmation of John Swinney as First Minister, NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall wrote to him on behalf of Scotland’s student movement. In the letter Ms Gomersall highlighted NUS Scotland’s research showing that the cost of travel has prevented a third of young people from accessing education and called for peak rail fares to be scrapped permanently to combat this.
As well as this measure, the letter also called for the new First Minister to demonstrate his government’s commitment to students by reversing the £60m of cuts to colleges in this year’s budget, fund an end to industrial disputes in Further Education, and for the Scottish Government to continue its work on the housing bill – with further improvements to ensure that rent control legislation includes students.
Commenting, NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall said:
“It is reassuring to see a concrete demonstration that the voices of Scotland’s Student and Trade Union movements are not going completely unheard by the Government.
The scrapping of peak rail fares has had huge benefits for students and many others, making transport more affordable, accessible, and sustainable. So, it is welcome that the trial scheme is being extended.
However peak fares are fundamentally anti-student and anti-worker, punishing commuters and discouraging the use of environmentally friendly public transport, and must be permanently scrapped.
Only this, as well as real measures to address the crisis in students housing, and a reversal to devastating funding cuts to Scotland’s colleges will demonstrate that John Swinney’s government truly cares about students.”
