The Scottish Government announced yesterday (Monday 19 August) it will scrap plans to provide free bus travel for people seeking asylum. Our Head of Charity, Traci Kirkland, reacted to the news.
“We are absolutely devastated at the news of the scrapping of the plans for a bus travel scheme originally announced in the Scottish Government’s 24/25 budget plans.
This scheme had offered a glimmer of light in the limited support New Scots receive, enabling them to access crucial support services to rebuild their lives in Scotland. The cost of public transport is an extreme financial barrier to those we support, forcing vulnerable individuals and families to make decisions between basic needs of food or attending important appointments and it increases the impact of social isolation.
The scheme was also going to take some of the pressure off third sector organisations who understand the importance of travel support to those living on £7 a day or less, and were subsidising travel costs from their already limited resources.
We call on the Scottish Government to rethink this budget cut and fulfil what was promised. This investment should have been viewed as a preventative spend- if other support is more accessible this would actually take some pressure off the public purse, not add to it.”
