A new cross-party report by members of the Scottish Parliament are calling for a review of public transport fares as a study shows they have risen “well above inflation”.

The Scotsman newspaper says the group at Holyrood says the cost of public transport needs to be cut in real terms.

The paper says that in her Programme for Government, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged fares on the publicly-owned ScotRail network would be frozen until at least March 2023, but the report by MSPs on Holyrood’s Cross Party Group on Sustainable Transport said that “increasingly expensive” fares for bus or train, coupled with the “hidden costs” of travelling by car could make public transport a “less attractive alternative”.

The report recommended action be taken to “ensure that alternatives to car travel are available and affordable”.

(Picture – Scotrail)