The Herald

Scottish Socialists yesterday claimed universal free public transport would transform both the environment and lives of the less well-off as they launched their election manifesto.

They cited measures taken by the city of San Francisco to argue that bus, rail and ferry fares for pedestrians and cyclists should be scrapped.

Party leader Colin Fox launched the manifesto at Hampden stadium in Glasgow along with colleague Alan McCombes and some of the party's leading candidates.

They claimed to be ahead of former SSP leader Tommy Sheridan's breakaway Solidarity party in the polls, with Mr Fox saying the SSP was targeting the return of eight MSPs at the election.

The party's transport plans would cost around £1bn according to Mr McCombes - twice the estimate put on the policy by the LibDems transport spokesman, Tavish Scott.

But the SSP says this would be less than one-third of Scotland's contribution to defence spending and a quarter of the combined cost of road congestion, accidents and repairs.

Mr Fox added that it was part of their plans to address global warming. "We've come up with a way that will persuade people to keep their car at home. It's a better alternative than what we have just now.

"I think it's to our immense credit that we've come forward with a proposal which isn't hitting people with a big stick about using the car. It's free, integrated, reliable transport right across Scotland, that's the centrepiece of our election manifesto."

The party claims that San Francisco had announced similar proposals recently in a move to tackle climate change.

Scottish Socialist Party plans:

JUSTICE
Free heroin on prescription to registered addicts, under controlled conditions.

ECONOMY
National minimum wage of £8 an hour for all public sector workers. Confiscation of assets of multi-nationals which switch production to low-wage economies.

TRANSPORT
Universal free public transport to help both the poor and the environment. Scrap all planned major road projects.

EDUCATION
Maximum class sizes of 20, no school closures, restoration of student grants.

ENVIRONMENT
Carbon rationing covering the use of gas, electricity, petrol and air flights.

HEALTH
Reversal of all PFI projects and a ban on NHS consultants doing private work. Free school meals and prescriptions.

GOVERNMENT
Back a referendum inside one year to create an independent, nuclear-free, multi-cultural Scotland.

Labels: election07, freepublictransport