Residents staged a protest in Glasgow’s George Square on COP26’s Transport Day to insist that the free public transport passes provided to delegates at the climate summit should be available to everyone living in the city, reports Glasgow Live.
Trade union representatives and environmental campaigners criticised Scotland’s public transport system for failing to provide an alternative to car use, and called on councils to use new powers to start publicly-owned bus companies to improve passenger numbers and reduce emissions.
Transport Campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “Transport is Scotland’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change. It’s vital that the Scottish Government and local councils take action on transport – without that there can be no meaningful action on the climate.
“People in Glasgow are watching delegates use their free public transport pass and wondering why we can’t make that available to everyone. Free public transport should remain after the end of COP26, and be open to everyone. If we run our buses in the public interest, we can create a comprehensive network that takes cars off the road, reduces emissions and improves air quality.”
