Baffling rail fares and buses and trams being snarled up in traffic are among the irritating things about travelling in Scotland, according to a new expert group formed by The Scotsman.
However, our Travellers Panel also praised the growth of inter-city coach services, young people being given the freedom of free bus travel, and the helpfulness of train and bus staff.
The initial 14 members of the panel were invited to join for their knowledge and expertise of transport in Scotland, and include campaigners, former senior industry executives and consultants.
Among them are Joan Aitken, a former Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, who regulated buses, rail author David Spaven, and recently retired transport consultant Donald Stirling.
The informal panel has been formed to help The Scotsman feature the best and worst of Scottish transport by telling us their pet peeves, top tips, and brilliant - and bad - service.
Interested readers are welcome to apply to join the panel - please email [email protected] with some details about yourself and your main travel likes and dislikes.
The bewildering complexity of rail fares was among our panellists’ major dislikes, including how to get the best deal.
Gripes included the need to buy multiple - or “split” tickets - to secure the lowest fare for some journeys, and the difficulty of finding ScotRail’s £1 “Kids for a Quid” tickets, which are only available from ticket offices or train staff, not online or at station ticket machines.
Mr Stirling said: “Rail fares are a shambles. When ScotRail is advertising split ticketing for their own routes, something is wrong.”
Another panellist said: “You need to be in the know to know. The uptake of Kids for a Quid will be lower than it could be because ScotRail is pushing people to buy tickets digitally.”
Another said: “Public transport still does not have a system as in London where the customer automatically gets the best-value ticket for their travel when they don't know in advance how many trips they will make.”
Other major travel concerns included traffic congestion delaying buses and trams, such as in Edinburgh, and poor connections between trains, buses and ferries. The lack of ScotRail trains on Sundays and absence of timetables at stations was also criticised.
Ms Aitken, who is a trustee of passenger group Bus Users UK, said: “Congestion is the main impediment to us getting punctual and frequent - and therefore cheaper - bus services.”
Another panellist said: “There is not enough dedicated road space for trams and buses, and insufficient priority at junctions. This results in slow journey times, added cost to the operators and doesn't sufficiently encourage motorists to abandon their cars.”
However, panellists praised transport staff for enhancing journeys. Ms Aitken said: “They are reliable, great people - my quotidian heroes and heroines, who would never let others down.”
Isobel Leckie, secretary of the Causey Development Trust, which is championing improvements to West Crosscauseway in Edinburgh, said: “I love Lothian buses and their patient and helpful drivers.”
Inter-city coach expansion was also commended, including by Ember and Flixbus. Mr Stirling said: “Operator choice is increasing significantly, and with new vehicles.”
Another panellist said the network provided “significant choice of operator, good frequencies and pricing competition”.
A further panellist was impressed by Ember’s “electric, real-time trackable, and 24/7 service”. However, another said inter-city buses were an “uncomfortable ride and pointless duplication of rail”.
Free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland was also applauded, with one panellist describing it as “an even more important measure than free travel for senior citizens”.
4. Lack of bus and train timetables at stops and stations - or being out of date
Scottish Conservatives