The Great Train Robbery

Not the infamous crime, but the news that the train companies can increase their fares by a whopping 5.9%.

This is now getting ridiculous. We have the highest train fares in Europe, some of the worst services and an incomprehensible fares system - you can be fined for getting off a stop EARLY.

There is not a single party who is making the effort to regulate and reduce the fares. Neither do any of them propose to introduce legislation to force efficiency on the private companies.

The country is suffering economically, with consumer confidence down. So what does the Government do? Raise petrol duty and allow an increase in train fares, thus leaving commuters with less cash in their pocket, with the knock-on effect of them spending less on other goods and services.

Public transport is screaming out for regulation, but neither the Westminster or Holyrood Governments are paying a blind bit of attention. And all their arguments about "green" policies are hypocritical, given that some people will now travel by car since it is cheaper.

Someone needs to grab the respective Tranport Ministers and force them to commute on the busiest lines for a month. Then they might actually understand what we the travelling public have to endure.