Transform’s response to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government this year took the form of a tweeted commentary from our director Colin Howden. (In truth, there wasn’t much new in the PfG on transport this year, all of the new material having come from the Scottish Government/Scottish Green Party deal that had been published three week previously.)
From #SustainableTransport perspective, the most important commitment in #ScotPfG is to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030.
This was initially announced in December 2020’s #ClimateChangePlan update.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
Pleased that #ScotPfG restates that at least £320 million or 10% of the total transport budget to be spent on #ActiveTravel by 2024-25.
This was a win for @scottishgreens in its agreement with @scotgov.
It’s something that @TransformScot has been campaigning for for a decade.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
#ScotPfG restates “remove the majority of diesel buses from public transport by the end of 2023”.
This first appeared in @theSNP 2021 Holyrood manifesto, and surprised many folk then.
Very ambitious, but great if it can be done. Will need a lot of investment in #ElectricBuses.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
Some people are very happy that @scotgov has “begun the process of bringing ScotRail into public ownership and control”, as featured in #ScotPfG.
The first thing that has happened here is for @scotgov ministers to instruct @ScotRail to cut services. Be careful what you wish for.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
The commitment to introduce free bus travel to young people aged under 22 is very welcome.
This resulted from a previous deal between the @scottishgreens and the @scotgov.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
The #ScotPfG commits to “providing a range of low and zero carbon transport initiatives with £287 million investment through to 2025-26 from our Future Transport Fund”.
Perhaps @patrickharvie can explain how this fund works? We’ve always found it deeply opaque.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
The @scottishgreens agreement with @scotgov led to a scaling-back of the A96 dualling commitment.
The language around new road-building is also now somewhat better as a result.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
And worryingly, it’s those road-builders at @transcotland that Scottish Ministers are relying on to deliver the “direction of transport investment in Scotland for the next 20 years” — STPR2.
It just doesn’t have the expertise to deliver demand management & traffic reduction.
— Colin Howden (@TS_Director) September 7, 2021
