Building a Better Scotland
TRANSPORT
To promote economic growth, social inclusion and health and protection of our environment through a safe, integrated, effective and efficient transport system.
Objective 1 | | Promote economic growth by building, enhancing, managing and maintaining transport services, infrastructure and networks to maximise their efficiency. |
Target | 1 | Increase passenger journeys on the Scottish rail network by an average of 2% each year. |
Target | 2 | Reduce the time taken to undertake trunk road journeys on congested or heavily trafficked sections of the network by 2008. |
Target | 3 | Improve the condition of the trunk road network over a 10 year period against measurable milestones. |
Target | 4 | Achieve key milestones each year in the delivery of the major infrastructure projects set out in the long-term investment plan, subject to projects receiving the necessary public or Parliamentary approval. |
Objective 2 | | Promote social inclusion by connecting remote and disadvantaged communities and increasing the accessibility of the transport network. |
Target | 5 | Increase local bus journeys by an average of 1% each year. |
Target | 6 | Increase passenger numbers through the network of lifeline airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd by an average 1.5% each year. |
Target | 7 | Increase passenger numbers on the network of lifeline ferries subsidised by the Scottish Executive on the Clyde to and between the Hebridean Isles and to the Northern Isles by an average of 2% each year. |
Objective 3 | | Protect our environment and improve health by building and investing in public transport and other types of efficient and sustainable transport which minimise emissions and consumption of resources and energy. |
Target | 8 | 70% of Scottish Executive transport spending to go on public transport over the period of the long-term investment plan. |
Target | 9 | Transfer a further 2 million lorry miles per year from road to rail or water. |
Objective 4 | | Improve safety of journeys by reducing accidents and enhancing the personal safety of pedestrians, drivers, passengers and staff. |
Target | 10 | To reduce the number of serious and fatal road accident casualties by 40% overall and by 50% for children by 2010 compared with the 1994-98 annual averages. |
Objective 5 | | Improve integration by making journey planning and ticketing easier and working to ensure smooth connection between different forms of transport. |
What we will do
Our ambitions for Scotland depend on excellent transport: excellent transport services and excellent transport infrastructure.
We are determined to deliver high quality transport that strengthens Scotland's economy and supports all of our communities. Next year for the first time our budget for transport will be over 1bn. Seventy per cent of this will be spent on public transport, to fight congestion and to promote more sustainable transport. By 2007-08 this Scottish Budget raises transport spending by over one third from the 2004-05 figure to almost 1.4bn. This major increase in investment underlines the importance that we attach to the role of transport in growing Scotland's economy and providing greater prosperity to all.
We are investing in our public transport, in our road networks and in our air and sea connections. There are real improvements that can be made to encourage and sustain economic growth, to reduce the time to market for our businesses; to improve the accessibility of our communities; to integrate bus, rail and ferry timetables; and to deliver transport services that are reliable, safe and effective.
In everything that we do we are committed to growing the economy, promoting equality, closing the opportunity gap and encouraging sustainable development. More detailed information about the Executive's work in these areas is given in the cross-cutting chapters earlier.
Over the Spending Review period we intend to increase substantially investment in our transport infrastructure: in improved public transport (buses, rail, ferries, trams and park and ride); in better facilities for freight; in targeted improvements to the trunk road network; in greater use of our sea routes and canals; and in new direct air routes from and to Scotland.
We also plan to transform transport delivery in Scotland with new structures to ensure this investment is planned and deployed effectively. We wish to build organisational capacity and promote a more strategic approach to transport at all levels. We will do this through the creation of a new national transport agency to enhance delivery of transport by central government, and new statutory regional transport partnerships to facilitate the planning and delivery of transport in a more strategic way.
These new structures will be underpinned by new national and regional transport strategies which will secure our vision for Scotland's transport future: an accessible Scotland with safe, integrated and reliable transport that supports economic growth, provides opportunities for all and is easy to use; a transport system that meets everyone's needs, respects our environment and contributes to health and personal well-being.
Our priorities for delivery during the Spending Review period are:
- to invest to maintain and accelerate expenditure on our 10 year investment plan and our commitment to spend around 3bn on transport capital infrastructure projects over that period;
- to extend the benefits of concessionary travel by introducing national schemes: one for younger people and the other for older and disabled people;
- to deliver our Partnership Agreement commitment to create a new transport agency for Scotland and a network of new regional transport partnerships; and
- to improve the day-to-day management and maintenance of Scotland's roads, by tightening the regulation of utility company roadworks.
That is why we will:
- increase funding for transport overall by 267m in 2006-07 and 322m in 2007-08;
- spend an extra 96/100m to fund the new national concessionary fare schemes;
- make 35/35m available for the new statutory Regional Transport Partnerships to invest in both public transport and regional road projects; and
- invest an extra 25/25m in maintaining the trunk road network as well as an extra 60m per annum within the local government settlement for the maintenance of local roads.
Efficient Government and Portfolio Savings
We will also ensure that we secure the best possible value for money over the Spending Review period and contribute to the Executive's efficient government programme from a range of transport services through both internal efficiencies and procurement savings. Details will be included in the Executive's Efficient Government plan to be published in the autumn.
Table 10.01 Spending plans 2004-08 (level 2)
m | 2004-05 Plans | 2005-06 Plans | 2006-07 Plans | 2007-08 Plans |
Rail services in Scotland (1) | 210.63 | 259.36 | 263.90 | 269.50 |
Ferry services in Scotland (2) | 47.16 | 59.70 | 59.70 | 61.60 |
Bus services in Scotland | 60.06 | 61.60 | 62.60 | 63.80 |
Concessionary fares (3) | 13.00 | 13.00 | 109.00 | 113.00 |
Air services in Scotland | 23.00 | 39.50 | 40.10 | 40.60 |
Other public transport | 249.53 | 281.95 | 334.73 | 385.53 |
Other grants to local authorities and regional transport partnerships | 26.30 | 26.30 | 64.20 | 64.20 |
Motorways and trunk roads | 305.15 | 316.50 | 390.70 | 381.20 |
DEL Total | 934.84 | 1,057.81 | 1,324.92 | 1,379.42 |
(1) The figures for 2005-06 include savings relating to Track Access Charges. Figures in 2006-07 and 2007-08 reflect the basic subsidy payable for the Scotrail franchise following the tendering exercise.
(2) All figures are notional pending the outcome of tendering exercises.
(3) Transport portfolio spending plans for concessionary fares do not include funds allocated to local authorities from GAE.