The Tartan Army will be subjected to more rip-offs at the World Cup this summer with the cost of going to Scotland’s opening two matches by bus set to outstrip the price of a train ticket.
On what will be their first appearance at the tournament since 1998, Steve Clarke’s side will take on Haiti on June 14 in Boston and then Morocco at the same venue on June 19.
But with the Gillette Stadium actually situated 29 miles from Boston in the town of Foxborough, many fans will depend on public transport to take then to and from the venue.
Last week it emerged that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) planned to charge $80 (£59) for a return journey per person on the train.
This was despite the fact that ‘special event’ trains to the stadium for New England Patriots games, New England Revolution matches and concerts typically cost around $20 (£15) for a round-trip.
But any hope Scotland fans had of avoiding that inflated cost has been dashed after the city’s host committee announced that tickets for the ‘Boston Stadium Express’ bus will now cost $95 (£70) for a round trip.
The buses will run direct routes from dozens of pickup locations, including Logan International Airport and several hotels in the city. Tickets for the bus must be booked in advance and fans must have a valid ticket for the match on the same day.
Scotland fans have suffered disappointment at major championships in the last two Euros
Boston 26 chief Mike Lloyd said: ‘Providing fans with clear, reliable transportation is essential to delivering a positive tournament experience.’
The MBTA said last week that more than 6,200 trains tickets were sold for Scotland’s game against Haiti, breaking the record for the most special-event train tickets sold for any individual event at Gillette Stadium.
It is expected that 20,000 fans will be transported to the stadium on 14 commuter rail trains for each of Scotland’s games, with the journey taking around an hour.
The MBTA said that, compared to driving, parking, and event-day traffic delays, the ticket prices are a ‘more affordable way to travel to and from matches’.
It comes after Foxboro Station underwent $35million improvement works in time for the tournament.
Scotland will conclude their World Cup group campaign against Brazil in Miami on June 24.
Travelling fans are already being forced to pay between £292 and £521 to watch their side in action in each of the three group games.
With hotel prices also going through the roof, manager Clarke has asked fans not to get into debt to fund their trips.
