Transport Scotland: Delivering a strategy for change

The third Delivery Plan for Scotland’s National Transport Strategy has been published, highlighting what the Scottish Government is doing to improve travel by road, rail, sea, air and pathway and to help more people access transport.    

This Delivery Plan contains more than 70 actions, including:

• Supporting people in making healthier travel choices by making it easier to walk or cycle for short daily journeys through Active Travel investment, with new and improved infrastructure and connectivity
• Concluding the Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares, making public transport system more accessible, available and affordable
• Completing the £116 million Levenmouth Rail project, unlocking access to education, culture, entertainment and employment, as well attracting new business and investment
• Working on a permanent and resilient infrastructure solution to address landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful
• Publishing the draft Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Paper and draft Long-Term Plan for Vessels for Ports for public consultation, considering aviation, ferries, fixed links and onward travel
• Extending our concessionary travel scheme with free bus travel for people seeking asylum in Scotland and free ferry tickets for islanders aged under 22

The Delivery Plan is accompanied by the Report to Parliament, a statutory requirement setting out progress made in the three years since the Strategy was published and the steps taken to keep it under review.

Minister for Transport, Fiona Hyslop said: “Much has happened since the publication of our National Transport Strategy in 2020 and we are dealing with very different challenges than we were back then.

“Following the transfer of ScotRail into public ownership, this year we transferred Caledonian Sleeper services into public control and ownership. Over two million people are now eligible to benefit from free bus travel, and we will shortly publish a one year evaluation of the scheme for under 22s. And we are implementing our Active Travel Transformation Project to help realise our commitment to prioritise walking, wheeling and cycling.

“Throughout all of this our guiding principles, the four priorities of the Strategy, remain the same and they continue to focus our decision making and investment priorities towards delivering our vision and creating a more sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system.

“For this vision to be fully realised, we need a tangible means of delivery. This is where our third Delivery Plan comes in – outlining the actions being taken by the Scottish Government to help deliver our priorities and outcomes for transport.

“In addition to the publication of this Delivery Plan, I have laid a report to the Scottish Parliament setting out the progress of the Strategy in its first three years.

“This report highlights some of the key projects and actions taken by this Government to keep transport moving through the pandemic, respond to the cost crisis and climate emergency and the critical ongoing partnership working to make our transport system greener, fairer, healthier and the bedrock of inclusive economic growth.”

The Delivery Plan sets out the work being taken forward by the Scottish Government to help deliver the National Transport Strategy’s vision, priorities and outcomes from spring 2023 to the end of 2024.

The Strategy outlines four priorities for the transport system: that it reduces inequalities; takes climate action; helps deliver inclusive economic growth; and improves our health and wellbeing.

Responding to the strategy, Railway Industry Association’s Scotland Chair Campbell Braid said: “We welcome the latest iteration of the delivery plan for Scotland’s National Rail Strategy and the commitment to complete the Levenmouth rail project among others.

“We are looking forward to the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan which is so important for achieving net-zero and which today’s document confirms will be issued this year. Rail suppliers across Scotland are working to support the Scottish Government with its ambitious programme of improvements to deliver a better and greener railway.”

• Read the third annual Delivery Plan
• Read the Report to Parliament

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Download article