The Scottish Greens have promised a new railcard for millennials, funded by a levy on frequent flyers. Ross Greer, the party's co-leader, said the 31-49 age group is the only one not offered a discounted rail fare scheme.
Under the Green plans, a "millennial railcard" would save people a third off fares across Scotland. Speaking during his keynote speech at the Scottish Green conference, Greer said the plans would be paid for by a frequent flyer levy targeting the richest and most frequent flyers, helping to limit emissions while supporting Scots taking the bus or train.
Costings and Revenue
According to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), a tax on frequent flyers could raise around £50 million a year. Greer told reporters that the party's initial costings found the price of the millennial railcard would be around £47 million.
He said Scotland would "very quickly get to the point where millennial railcard isn't actually costing any money" due to an increase in rail usage. Similarly, he expects the amount raised by the Frequent Flyer Levy to fall as fewer people take flights.
Policy Details and Exemptions
The policy would include an exemption for lifeline flights to Scotland's islands. It is understood the policy would not be part of Green asks during Budget negotiations with the SNP in the next month due to time constraints, with the party instead hoping to introduce it some time before 2031.
Greer said: "This weekend we are proposing a Frequent Flyer Levy for those who get the plane like the rest of us get the bus. Regular business flights within the UK are literally fuelling climate breakdown. They should be paying far more than families going on holiday once a year. While bankers fly back and forth between Edinburgh and Canary Wharf multiple times a week, millions of people are working every hour they can get and still struggling to get by."
Millennials' Struggles
Greer said "a whole generation" of Scots who came into adulthood since the financial crash in 2007/2008 have struggled with the basics of life. He told Green members at Eden Court: "Millennials who too often still can't afford a deposit for a home, still can't afford to start a family, still can't get graduate jobs. They are also the only people currently paying full price for their train tickets. Everyone else can get a discount or railcard. So today I can announce that Green MSPs would use the money from taxing frequent flyers to deliver a millennial railcard, offering one third off train fares for people in their 30s and 40s."
This is the latest push from the Greens on public transport, with the party playing a key role in scrapping peak rail fares, rolling out free bus travel to under 22s, and the £2 bus cap in the Highlands.
