McInnes welcomes SNP u-turn on pensioner fares cut

4.19.21pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Jul 2008

The SNP Government have been forced to commit a u-turn on their plan to introduce restrictions on the national concessionary fares travel scheme introduced by the Liberal Democrats in the last administration.

The Scottish Government today published the terms of a forthcoming review into the scheme which provides free travel to over-60s and the disabled.

Speaking after the announcement, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Alison McInnes MSP said:

"This latest SNP u-turn will come as a relief to many pensioners and disabled people across Scotland.

"The Liberal Democrats joined with pensioner groups and many others to make clear to ministers that their plans were entirely unacceptable.

"The SNP's plan to curtail the concessionary fares scheme shows just how out of touch with the lives of ordinary Scots the independence obsessed SNP ministers are.

"The concessionary fares scheme would never have been implemented in the first place if Liberal Democrats had not been in government. There is nothing liberal about a society which makes pensioners prisoners in their own homes because they cannot afford to travel."