Along with seven other organisations, we have written to the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers to call for transport to be given adequate scrutiny in the new Session of Parliament.
The eight groups are:
- CoMoUK
- Community Rail Network
- Paths for All
- Rail Freight Group
- Stagecoach
- Sustrans
- Transform Scotland
- Transport Focus
The groups comprise a wide range of transport interests including bus operations, car sharing, cycling infrastructure, passenger rail, public transport user representation, rail freight, and sustainable transport policy.
Transform director Colin Howden said:
“As the outgoing Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee had noted in its legacy report, the last Session of Parliament struggled to provide adequate scrutiny of transport policy. The Scottish Government has a number of key commitments to meet in this area, not least to ensure we make progress in decarbonising transport, and so it is crucial that the Scottish Parliament has structures in place to ensure that it can hold the Scottish Ministers to account.”
“I note the decision by the First Minister, subsequent to our preparation of this letter, to link the policy areas of climate, energy and transport under a joint Cabinet Secretary brief of ’Net Zero, Energy and Transport’. While I cannot speak on behalf of all organisations signed to this letter, I can confirm that Transform Scotland is supportive of this grouping, and would be content to see a Committee established with similar policy coverage.