Question reference: S6W-09952
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 25 July 2022
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 August 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether spectating at sporting events can be an important and significant part of some people's lives, and what it is doing to ensure that public transport services work to ensure that such events can be enjoyed by all.
Answer
Spectating at sporting events is important to the people of Scotland and brings benefits in terms of enjoyment, stress reduction, socialisation and camaraderie with community, friends and family. Public transport has a role to play in enabling fans to get to and from sporting events, especially families and young people. The extension of free bus travel to all children and young people under 22 makes public transport more affordable, helping to improve access to such events while enabling them to travel sustainably early in their lives.
In Scotland we take a modal corridor approach to strategic transport issues for the last two decades. The Scottish Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) makes recommendations on the strategic corridors and TS continues to work hard with local and national partners to provide such connectivity; and local authorities have a key role to play too.
Transport Scotland engages with transport operators on decision making for meeting spectator requirements. With the introduction of Scotrail’s Fit for the Future timetable from 20 July 2022, reliability of rail service to sporting events has improved as driver availability has improved. Transport Scotland will monitor public transport offerings for sporting events.