The Conservatives' General Election candidate for North Ayrshire and Arran has backed calls for bus fares in the area to be capped.

Todd Ferguson said he supported the pledge made by his party's Scottish leader Douglas Ross earlier this week to cap single bus fares at £2.

The Tories' pledge comes months after Kenneth Gibson, the SNP MSP for Cunninghame North, said he would lobby for North Ayrshire to be used as a pilot area for a trial 'flat fare' scheme.

The Conservatives say their single fare cap would operate in a similar way to the one currently running in England, which the UK Government have extended until the end of this year.

However, the party, and whoever is elected as North Ayrshire and Arran's next Westminster MP, would not have the power to introduce a £2 fare cap in Scotland, as transport policy has been within the control of the Scottish Parliament, not the House of Commons, for the last 25 years.

The next Scottish Parliament election isn't due to take place until May 2026.

Mr Ferguson said: "Many people in North Ayrshire and Arran are continuing to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

"Our proposals to cap single bus fares at £2 will help many people get to work or visit family and friends in North Ayrshire and Arran more affordably.

"The scheme introduced by the UK Government has helped people save money and encouraged more passengers to use their local bus services.

"Introducing similar schemes in North Ayrshire and Arran will also help to highlight how vital routes are for many people and help to protect them going forward.

"The SNP should get on board with our plans and reduce the cost of travelling on public for people struggling financially in North Ayrshire and Arran."

Mr Gibson said earlier this year that he had held talks with Scottish ministers on the prospect of using North Ayrshire to trial a pilot scheme of 'flat fares' on local bus services.

The SNP MSP was reacting after it was revealed that the cost of a bus journey from Largs to Fairlie with Stagecoach was higher than from Largs to Greenock on a McGill's bus, despite the Greenock journey being over a far greater distance.

Mr Gibson said: "The people who rely most on bus services are those with the least disposable income to absorb these kind of price hikes.

Bus companies are private businesses, although they will receive £429.7 million this year to fund concessionary fares and support bus services.

“Stagecoach will no doubt decide on a fare based on likely revenue on a given route.

“As part of its Fair Fares Review, the SNP Government has committed to an area-based pilot for flat bus fares. 

“North Ayrshire would be the ideal place for this pilot to take place and an issue I have taken to Scottish ministers.”

A return between Fairlie and Largs now costs £5.80 for a journey that lasts nine minutes each way, following a fare increase by Stagecoach.

In comparison, a McGill's 'day saver' ticket, which covers the whole of the company's Inverclyde network as well as Largs, costs £5.70.