The billionaire owner of a Dundee bus firm has claimed the SNP are letting down Scots living in rural areas by failing to support bus travel.
Sandy Easdale, who runs Xplore Dundee with his brother James, warned Humza Yousaf’s party is forcing commuters in smaller towns and villages off public transport and into cars.
He criticised the SNP for not matching a £2 bus fare cap in place across England at the moment and said too much focus has gone into subsiding rail travel.
Mr Easdale said: “We have a landslide of people being cut off in rural routes and villages.”
But his criticisms were disputed by SNP transport chief Kevin Stewart, who insisted his party had offered plenty of incentives to encourage Scots on to buses.
Mr Easdale was particularly critical of the Scottish Government’s decision to scrap more expensive rail fares during peak times.
He said: “The peak time people who are commuting for work, who could possibly afford the full fare, are now being subsidised even more.
‘Punishing their own voters’
“I would say that 80 or 90% of SNP voters are actually bus users. And they are punishing their own voters.
“The working and middle class people they claim to represent, use the buses.”
Transport Minister Mr Stewart hit back: “We do not recognise this claim, which appears to ignore significant bus funding for concessionary fares.
“The figure for rail includes infrastructure and projects as well as the ScotRail subsidy so is not comparing like for like with buses.
“We are committed, alongside operators and local authorities, to improving services to ensure everyone has accessible public transport, regardless of geographic location.”
New SNP leader Mr Yousaf was previously transport chief before he was put in control of the justice and health briefs.
It’s a policy area where his party has come under significant pressure due to delays to the construction of the ferries and regular rail strikes last year.
Mr Easdale and his brother first acquired Xplore Dundee in 2020.
The siblings are former directors at Rangers FC and have been running bus firm McGill’s in the west of Scotland since 2001.
They made their debut on The Sunday Times Scottish Rich List in 2022 after they became billionaires, ranking eighth.
Conversation