Problems collecting medication by public transport in rural areas have been raised in the Scottish parliament.

In a transport debate Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) described bus services as “a vital lifeline for local communities, especially in rural areas”. In her speech she referenced a constituent with poor mobility, whose bus service to collect medicines has recently been cancelled.

This arose as a consequence of the Scottish Government’s decision not to extend the network support grant plus scheme introduced during Covid.  As a result, fares have risen by an average of 15 per cent across east Scotland, and it is projected that local services in Fife will be cut by a further 10 per cent, McCall pointed out.

Minister for Transport Kevin Stewart replied that a transport projects review includes recommendations that are focused on rural areas and that travel funding will support new projects for rural communities. The Scottish Government’s fair fares review would also be published “in the near future”, he added.