Hundreds of thousands Scots commuters face smart card price hikes of up to 250%

HUNDREDS of thousands of commuters face travel card price hikes of up to 250 per cent.

Ticket buyers are braced for the “eye-watering” costs as a smart card system kicks in.

Customers use the zone cards for unlimited bus, rail and subway travel.

But a redrawn map split into just seven zones means those on the outskirts of Greater Glasgow face paying more than double current prices to travel around Scotland’s largest city.

Residents in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, told of their anger at the new £892.50 cost of a ten-week ticket, up from £315.

One parent said: “We travel to the west end of Glasgow for the kids’ school. This will impact so many people. They are zoning us as being part of Ayrshire so getting charged as if we are traveling to and from Ayr.”

Commuters in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, face a hike from £280 to £637.50 for the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport passes.

While ten-week prices for customers in Bowling, Dunbartonshire, and Uddingston, Lanarkshire, are being upped from £235 to £595.

Tory shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said: “Eye-watering price increases will only hinder our ambitions to get more people to use public transport.”

Labour shadow transport spokesman Alex Rowley added: “Fare increases of this magnitude are unacceptable.”

The Zonecard Forum — representing transport firms — explained the first price rise “for several years” is due to a “more flexible and convenient” digital system from June 24.

A spokesman added: “There are less zones and many people may find they can travel further within these new zones.”