Jackie Baillie has called on the SNP to apologise to carers as the Transport Secretary admitted to Parliament that the Scottish Government will break its promise to introduce a bus pass for carers of disabled children this coming financial year.

As part of the budget which was passed just last month, the SNP promised to introduce the scheme in 2019/20. But, under questioning from Labour’s transport spokesperson, Colin Smyth MSP at a Holyrood committee this week, Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson, admitted it would not be introduced this year.

Jackie said:

“This is yet another broken promise from this failing SNP government. Just last month the government promised carers of disabled children that they would have a bus pass within the new financial year, but that turns out to be false.

“The Transport Secretary has now admitted that he has no plans to introduce the bus pass this year and carers will have to wait even longer for him to do so. There is no excuse for this failure and the Scottish Government must apologise.

“Scotland’s carers do an amazing job in challenging circumstances. They deserve to get all the help they need, not false promises from the SNP.”