Speaking on Radio Scotland this morning, Mr Yousaf claimed Scotland’s rail network “isn’t a poor service”, despite the crisis engulfing trains across the country.
It had hallmarks of ex-transport minister Stewart Stevenson’s claims that the government response in 2010 to gridlock on Scotland’s motorways was “first class”.
He resigned soon after, with shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser saying that Mr Yousaf’s reassurances on the ScotRail fiasco have been taken from the same “playbook”.
The SNP has been under increasing pressure over the state of Scotland’s railways in recent weeks.
At the weekend, the transport minister said he was even considering nationalising the service, although failed to set out how this would happen.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:
“Humza Yousaf appears to have decided to take a leaf out of Stewart Stevenson’s playbook.
“Just as Mr Stevenson told drivers stuck on the M8 six years ago that the Scottish Government’s response was ‘first class’, now we have the transport minister insisting to rail passengers that the train system isn’t a poor service.
“Mr Stevenson’s bumbling performance didn’t reassure anyone six years ago, and it isn’t likely that Mr Yousaf’s will either.
“His handling of this crisis has been more spin than substance, culminating in a half-baked plan to take ScotRail into public hands that clearly hasn’t been thought through.
“As Abellio points out, it is the Scottish Government which is ultimately responsible for this mess, and it is Mr Yousaf who needs to get a grip.”