A new survey has revealed that rural Scots are dissatisfied about public transport in their areas and it is little wonder. Ministers must act to improve it, argues Herald columnist Alan Simpson.

Way back in the day, I once had the misfortune to be waiting for a bus in the wilds of Aberdeenshire, if such a place exists.

Of course, it never showed up leaving me with no choice but to walk to wherever I was going, which was probably somewhere that I shouldn’t have been.

I’ve no idea if the bus ever did show up but as many who live in rural areas can attest, it is hardly a rare occurrence and is a situation that can affect people in far more serious ways than just walking a couple of miles.

GP appointments can be missed, pupils can be late for school and many other serious inconveniences can befall residents.

These things happen in urban areas too, of course, but in most large towns and cities there will be other options if a bus fails to show, but in rural areas none exist.

To say that public transport in vast swathes of rural Scotland is inadequate is stating the obvious but it is an issue that should not just be shrugged off with a ‘well you shouldn’t live in a rural area and expect better’ kind of attitude.

Why should the many thousands of Scots who live in rural areas not expect the same as those that live in cities?

They all pay the same taxes after all, but those that live in urban areas do seem to get more in return for their money and this just isn’t right.

Successive governments at Holyrood have shown that they don’t understand or even care about rural Scots and it’s high time they did.

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