Scottish Parliament cross-party group publishes new report responding to Scottish Government’s plan to cut road traffic levels by 20% by 2030
The Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Sustainable Transport has today (Tuesday 1 November) published its ‘Targeting Traffic’ report. This new publication challenges the Scottish Ministers to come forward with a robust plan to deliver on its target to cut road mileage by 20% by 2030 as part of its legally-binding climate change commitments. Amongst other things, the report highlights the need for the cost of bus and rail travel to be cut in real terms in order to respond to the cost of living crisis and provide affordable alternatives to car use.
The report is available here.
CPG convener Graham Simpson MSP said:
“Cutting car miles by a fifth within just over seven years is a tall order. When it still costs a couple times more to travel by train than it would in petrol then you have to ask how we are ever going to encourage people onto public transport.
“The purpose of this report is not to question the merits of the policy – though that is a valid standpoint – but to drill down into how the target can be best and most-fairly achieved. The report calls upon the Scottish Government to spell out what it plans to do, having set the target in the first place.”
The report draws upon expert evidence presented to the Group, and sets out a set of recommendations that the Scottish Government should consider when progressing its policies to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030:
1. Provide clarity around policies, expected impacts, and timescales for implementation.
2. Pursue policies that target unnecessary car journeys.
3. Consider the equalities impacts of traffic reduction policies.
4. Ensure greater affordability of public transport services.
5. Include van traffic as part of the traffic reduction target.
The report has cross-party support in the Parliament.
Deputy Convener Sarah Boyack MSP (Labour) said:
“My priorities would be a focus on ensuring that public transport is affordable and accessible, with a reversal of cuts to bus services, continued investment in active travel and political support for a shift to low carbon transport across all sectors.”
Deputy Convenor John Mason MSP (SNP) said:
“This is a fair and balanced report in my opinion. We have highlighted a range of issues which need to be addressed. But I think we all accept that there are no easy answers.”
Deputy Convener Mark Ruskell MSP (Green) said:
“What stands out for me is that there appears to be no route to meet climate targets without vehicle mileage reduction. Navigating our way to a better future will need the careful use of a wide range of demand management measures alongside investment in more attractive alternatives. Equalities issues need to be considered at the outset.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Sustainable Transport
This CPG’s purpose is to raise the profile of sustainable transport, with a particular focus on cross-modal issues, within the Scottish Parliament, and to promote policies and priorities relating to sustainable transport. See https://www.parliament.scot/get-involved/cross-party-groups/current-and-previous-cross-party-groups/2021/sustainable-transport
Its membership consists of six Members of the Scottish Parliament, plus 38 organisations working in Scottish transport: Transform Scotland, CalMac, Capital Rail Action Group, CoMoUK, Community Transport Association (CTA), CPT Scotland, Cycle Law Scotland, Cycling Scotland, Cycling UK in Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland, Edinburgh Bus Action Group, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Friends of the Far North Line, GoBike, Grand Union Trains, Heritage Railway Association, Hitrans, Levenmouth Rail Campaign, Light Rail Transit Association, Light Rail UK Group, LNER, Mobility & Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), Midlothian Disability Access Panel, Network Rail Scotland, Paths for All, Pedal on Parliament, Rail Action Group, East of Scotland, Railfuture, Ramblers Scotland, RNIB Scotland, Scottish Association for Public Transport, Spokes, St Andrew’s Rail Campaign (StARLink), Stagecoach, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), Sustrans Scotland, Transport Focus, Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland.
Transform Scotland provides the secretariat for the CPG, and coordinated the preparation of this report: https://transform.scot/scottish-parliament-cross-party-group-on-sustainable-transport/
[2] CPG inquiry into road traffic reduction
The CPG decided in late 2021 to concentrate on scrutinising the Scottish Government’s 20% traffic reduction target, as introduced in the Climate Change Plan update of December 2020. The inquiry took expert evidence from a series of contributors at a series of meeting held in the first half of 2022:
* Heather Cowan, Head of Climate Change and Just Transition for Transport, Transport Scotland
* Richard Riley, Senior Principal, Element Energy consultancy
* Bruce Whyte, Public Health Programme Manager at Glasgow Centre for Population Health
* Clare Linton, Policy and Research Advisor at the Urban Transport Group
* Professor Iain Docherty, Dean of the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Stirling.
The report which has resulted from the inquiry is available at: https://transform.scot/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CPG-Sustainable-Transport-Targeting-Traffic-2022-11-01.pdf
[3] ‘Targeting Traffic’ report recommendations in full
1. Provide clarity around policies, expected impacts, and timescales for implementation.
Provide clear information on what the expected impact of proposed policies and interventions is on traffic levels and emissions. The traffic reduction route map describes a large number of policies but it is unclear how many of these will be in place to take effect in time to contribute to reaching the target by 2030. It is also unclear whether or not the policies set out in the traffic reduction route map will lead to the targeted traffic reduction. Before the end of 2022 the Scottish Government should set clear and realistic timeframes for the implementation of traffic reduction policies and begin projecting the expected traffic impact of each policy and report on its progress against the target.
2. Pursue policies that target unnecessary car journeys.
Recognise that demand management will be necessary to deliver the traffic reduction target and pursue options that target unnecessary car journeys and help achieve the 20% mileage reduction.
3. Consider the equalities impacts of traffic reduction policies.
Consider the equalities impacts of any proposed policies on groups such as disabled people and people facing transport poverty. It must be ensured that groups already facing more limits to their mobility are not disproportionately impacted by traffic reduction policies. In addition, any opportunities to improve transport access through traffic reduction policies for groups who are currently excluded or disadvantaged should be promoted and pursued.
4. Ensure greater affordability of public transport services.
Ensure that alternatives to car travel are available and affordable. Considering the cost of living crisis and the cost increases of public transport over the past decades, the cost of public transport needs to be cut in real terms. The Scottish Government should review the affordability of bus and rail travel and ensure that Scots are able to afford using public transport.
5. Include van traffic as part of the traffic reduction target.
Consider the impact of freight on traffic volumes and emissions from road traffic. It must be ensured that reduction in emissions from cars is not cancelled out by an increase of emissions from delivery vans. Van mileage should therefore be included in the 20% reduction target.
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