Scot Lib Dems criticise £800 taxis and £840k bill since ScotRail nationalisation
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has today revealed that since ScotRail was taken into government hands in April 2022, more than £20,000 per month on average has been spent on taxis to replace cancelled or late rail services, with the most expensive journey coming to almost £800.
Freedom of information requests submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats to ScotRail revealed that the total amount paid to private taxi and hire vehicle services for replacing a cancelled rail service from April 2022 to September 2025 was £840,013.01. This is equivalent to £20,000 per month.
In this time, the single most expensive journey was a fare of £798.30 from Wick to Inverness calling at all stops in between by an eight-seater taxi. The service also highlighted a journey from Glasgow to Chester which cost £721 and another from Glasgow to Liverpool which cost £706.85
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene said:
“This is an extraordinary amount of money for nationalised ScotRail to have spent on taxis since the government assumed control. It’s supposed to be a railway company not a taxi firm.
“These funds should be going towards lowering fares and investing in modern trains, carriages and station upgrades.
“If we want people to choose rail over private cars, commuters need a reliable, high-quality service. The Scottish Government must work with ScotRail to reduce its dependence on costly and inefficient replacement transport and provide the standard of rail service that taxpayers and passengers deserve.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats are determined to deliver a public transport network that serves every community, supports all age groups, and helps tackle the climate emergency. That’s why we are calling for ScotRail to be redesigned around passenger’s needs, with flexible two- or three-day-a-week season tickets and joint work between government and councils to explore new rail lines and stations.