• Dundee MSP Welcomes Veterans Access to Concessionary Fares Scheme

    28May

    Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement that the concessionary fares scheme which already covers older and disabled passengers has been extended to include Scotland wide access for forces veterans.

    Commenting today, Joe FitzPatrick said: “This is great news and in such difficult economic times it is only right that the concessionary scheme be extended to our veterans.

    “The SNP Government has guaranteed all the rights to free or concessionary travel in place before the review. We have in fact extended the service further. This shows up the scaremongering by opposition parties who claimed the entire scheme was under threat.

    Working together with support for veterans, pensioners and the disabled we are able to get more people onto public transport and ensure people are able to take full advantage of opportunities around them.

    More people are travelling longer distances on Scotland’s buses at a lower cost, with the average Scot taking 100 bus journeys a year – more than their counterparts in other parts of the UK and travelling further with every journey.

    “The increase in funding for bus services and for concessionary fares ensures Scotland’s bus services have a strong future.

    “In contrast Labour has cut the concessionary fares scheme south of the border and spending is lagging behind Scotland.

    “It’s now time to encourage even more people onto buses and public transport to help Scotland hit our climate change targets.”

  • Welcome For Dundee Renewables Initiative

    17May

    Senior politicians representing Dundee gave a warm welcome to a new initiative launched in the city today [14 May] which aims to put Dundee at the centre of production and supply for the emerging renewable energy industry.

    Dundee MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick and MEP Ian Hudghton today welcomed the launch of Dundee Renewables, a partnership between Forth Ports, Scottish Enterprise and Dundee City Council.

    The partnership from the public and private sector aims to formally set up Dundee’s bid to make the city Scotland’s renewable energy capital

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “Dundee narrowly missed out to Aberdeen when oil was discovered in the North Sea in the early 1970s but the city is ideally placed to take advantage of this emerging industry.

    “Based on our strong record of manufacturing, our city-wide industrial capacity, our highly-skilled and highly educated workforce and our unbeatable location, we can transform Dundee into a renewable industry powerhouse if we can move quickly enough to grasp this new opportunity.”

    Scottish MEP Ian Hudghton, who has an office in the city, said: “The market for the manufacture of new wind and wave technology equipment in Europe and beyond, is vast and Dundee is uniquely placed to supply it.

    “Not only is Dundee facing towards Europe but it has excellent deep water dock facilities and a city-wide capacity for manufacturing on the scale needed to make a major impact in the market.

    “There is potential for large-scale job creation which is great news for Dundee.”

    Commenting on the initiative, Joe FitzPatrick Dundee West MSP said: “Dundee has huge advantages over other locations to become the renewable energy industry capital of Scotland.

    “We have a deep water port which does not rely on the tide, we have spare capacity at the port and at other industrial sites in the city, and we have a superb and skilled potential workforce within easy reach. We also have a great tradition of engineering and industrial manufacture.

    “The city can develop its activities across both the manufacture and supply of on-shore and offshore wind market and the tidal energy market. It can also operate as a maintenance and support base for this emerging and exciting new industry.”

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