City leaders hope to make Aberdeen the test site for a proposed £2 bus fare cap to encourage more people onto affordable public transport.
The campaign call follows a budget deal with the SNP Government at Holyrood to get their spending plans over the line with other parties.
Finance chief Shona Robison says no decision has yet been made on where to test the scheme – but told the P&J it would ideally be a region with a good mix of rural and urban.
Among the campaigning voices, the council’s SNP group co-leader Christian Allard says Aberdeen might be the best place for it.
“It’s something that would be very attractive for Aberdeen and the region,” he told us.
“It will have to be talked about with bus operators.
“Cheaper public transport is always better. I would welcome it.
“Aberdeen may be the best place to do this. Let’s not forget in Aberdeen, 30% of people don’t have access to a car.
“It’s important to have reliable bus services given the cost-of-living crisis.”
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The Scottish Government said it would talk with regional transport partnerships before coming to a decision.
There is no indication how much of any region would be included in a trial.
Aberdeen is covered by Nestrans, which also takes in Aberdeenshire.
The region is frequently described as underserved by public transport connections and reliant on cars for commuting.
Meanwhile, critics of the bus gates system in Aberdeen say high ticket prices stop more people from ditching their cars.
In Aberdeen, First Bus single tickets start at £2. It costs £4.90 for a 24-hour two-ticket deal, meaning a cap could bring immediate savings.
‘Perfect place’
Former city provost Barney Crockett said the focus could improve transport links.
“I think we would be the perfect place to do it as a trial,” he said.
“It would be a very wise thing to try it out in an area that is economically vibrant.
“We’re very reliant on buses. We have very weak infrastructure in rail.
“It puts a bigger onus on bus provision. Generally speaking buses are often a poor relation in transport, and that needs to be changed.”
The idea was put into budget negotiations at Holyrood by Green party MSP for the North East, Maggie Chapman, who is “keen” for the region to benefit.
“There’s a lot of work that’s needed on public transport in the north-east,” she said.
“I would be keen for the trial to be in the north-east transport region area.”
A similar policy was in place in England for two years where single journeys were capped at £2, saving commuters cash and increasing bus use. It increased to £3 this year except in Manchester where it remained at £2.
Business organisation Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce said the north-east offers a good test site.
“Connectivity is one of the biggest challenges facing the north-east, which makes Aberdeenshire is a perfect candidate for this trial,” a spokesman said.
“We urge the Scottish Government to engage with regional partners on the delivery of this pilot to see what improvements it can make to connectivity and economic productivity.”
First Bus was contacted for comment.
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