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Free Bus Travel for Patients on the Day of Medical Appointments

Proposal code: SACC-2026-03-5

Introduce free bus travel on the day of a confirmed hospital appointment (with appointment letter) for routes to Ayr Hospital, helping residents reduce travel costs and improve access to healthcare.

I would like to propose an initiative that could support residents attending medical appointments, particularly those travelling to University Hospital Ayr.

Currently, the cost of a return bus journey can be around £5.50 per day from Ayr CEntral bus stop to Ayrshire Hospital. For comparison, a return train ticket to Glasgow costs around £9.25. While some residents are eligible for free travel through schemes such as the Young Scot Card or the Saltire Card, many people who fall outside these categories must pay the full fare.

For many residents, hospital visits are not optional. They are necessary trips due to health conditions, and people often have no choice but to travel for treatment or appointments. Paying for transport each time can become a significant burden, especially for those who have frequent medical appointments.

One possible initiative would be to provide free bus travel on the day of a confirmed medical appointment, particularly on routes that serve the hospital, such as bus 52 to Ayr Hospital and back.

To ensure the system is fair and easy to manage, the free ticket could be provided only when the patient shows confirmation of their appointment, for example a letter from the hospital or clinic showing the appointment date. This would allow the bus driver to quickly verify the appointment and confirm that the free travel is being used on the correct day.

This initiative could:

• Help reduce the financial burden on patients

• Improve access to healthcare services

• Reduce missed appointments 

• Support residents who rely on public transport

Introducing free transport on the day of a medical appointment would be a thoughtful and supportive initiative for local residents and could make a real difference to people who need to attend hospital appointments.

Thank you for considering this proposal

• Transport
• Community Assets
• Health & Wellbeing
• Children & Families

• Ayr South and Villages