'GETTING from A to B on public transport is an issue that provokes plenty of opinions and, in recent weeks, the Scottish Government has learned just how passionate the public is if you get this wrong.

Delayed services, cancelled trains, overcrowded carriages, skipped stops and poor customer service have resulted in both the current franchise operator, Abellio, and the Transport Minister coming in for sustained and deserved criticism.

When Scottish Ministers initially awarded the contract to the Dutch Operator in 2014 there was hope that this would lead to a new golden age of trains in the 21st century. Since then, only disappointments have followed and the public are desperate to see real ambition from Holyrood when it comes to public transport.

Taking a train from the central belt to parts of Fife, Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen takes longer than it did in the steam age! Electrification has been too slow and the Highland mainline to Inverness is still just a single track.

In response to the latest calamity on the tracks a new 249 point improvement plan has been released. But before the paint was even dry on this latest plan, cracks were beginning to show. Many of the points aren't to be completed for another two years, leaving commuters in limbo as a result of the problems of today. A large number of the points are old and a number have little relevance to ensuring that trains arrive on time. News that Scotrail will roll out 40 year old trains to help meet passenger demand will add fuel to the fire that passengers in Scotland are being served up second-class infrastructure.

The Transport Minister appears to be flailing in the wake of pressure from the unions and the latest gambit for a public service operator cannot happen for another six years. Like a magician using slight of hand to distract his audience the Transport Minister is using a public sector bid to distract from the problems of today.

What commuters need and want is action to arrest issues now. The Scottish Conservatives are committed to our railways and have called on St Andrews House to be more ambitious when it comes to planning for the future.

As we approach the holiday season, the capacity of public transport services reaches its peak. Bad weather, frozen tracks and climate related issues coincide with high demand and it is critically important that Scotrail is prepared for winter. The last thing we need is stranded passengers between Christmas and New Year. The Transport Minister should spend less time with his hard hat on for photo calls and more time with his thinking cap if we are to see real improvement on the railways.

As ever I welcome the feedback of constituents and can be contacted at the Control Tower, Perth Airport, Scone, Perth PH2 6PL, Tel: 01738 553 990or email at Elizabeth.Smith.msp@parliament.scot'