Tory minister ridiculed for suggesting graffiti is why people aren't using trains right now

There’s one thing everyone in the UK is able to agree on: train prices are way too expensive.

So it does not come as surprise that people were sarcastically astonished when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested that removal of graffiti on the UK's network would be the best way to encourage people to start using trains again.

“Yeah, the graffiti, that’s why I don’t use the trains,” one Twitter user posted which currently has more than 25 thousand likes of agreement, accompanied by a screenshot of exorbitantly expensive UK trains prices (which are thought to be basically the most expensive in all of Europe).

Another person wrote, “Put a Tory in charge of rail and he’ll tell you the reason people don’t use trains that are £350 return is because someone painted on it.”

Many others chimed in, saying it was obvious the way to fix the problem was to lower prices and fully nationalise the railway.

Other remarked how glaringly out of touch this idea is.

Especially because there's a global pandemic and people are obviously feeling reluctant to use public transport.

“What planet is he on?” asked another user. “Making them cheaper, more efficient, not packed, Covid free and convenient will make more people use them!”

Network Rail, which maintains 20,000 miles of track as well as 20 of the UK's largest stations, said it was spending £3.5m a year on "ridding the country's rail infrastructure of unauthorised imagery", according to the BBC.

Even though Shapps thinks keeping the network clean is an “important factor” in encouraging passengers to ride, we reckon he should definitely consider the global pandemic and the sky-high prices.