Responding to the latest Audit Scotland report which finds the Scottish Government’s commitment to cut traffic level by 20% by 2030 is ‘unlikely’ to be met, director Colin Howden said:
The Audit Scotland report accurately records a series of failed commitments on ScotRail peak fares, bus priority, and active travel investment. People won’t choose to leave their cars at home unless public transport is the cheaper, easier option. Right now, it’s neither.
It’s just embarrassing that over four years since the commitment was made that there’s still no plan in place let alone a concerted programme of action. However, the report lets the Government off the hook by effectively giving it yet another year to complete a plan that could and should have been place in 2022.
Scotland simply has no choice but to decarbonise transport if it is to meet its climate pledges. Transport emissions remain the country’s single largest source of greenhouse gases, accounting for 36% of the total in 2018, and have only fallen by 0.5% since 1990. So, meeting climate targets relies on delivering meaningful reductions from the transport sector, and road traffic in particular.
Despite limited progress on Scotland’s ambitious target to reduce car-kilometres, there is now a chance to adopt a clear strategy for achieving it. We outline five ways to deliver a 20% traffic reduction here.
Read more about our work on cutting car use
Targeting Traffic
We’re bringing people together to influence how Scotland will meet its new 20% car traffic reduction target.
Five steps to deliver 20% traffic reduction now
23 September 2024
Policy advisor Nigel Bagshaw outlines five urgent steps to cut Scotland’s road traffic by 20% and meet climate targets. Scotland simply has no choice but to decarbonise transport if it…
Targeting Traffic
1 November 2022
Report of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Sustainable Transport’s inquiry into the Scottish Government’s commitment to reduce car mileage by 20% by 2030.
Tackling Traffic: Winning Business Support for Traffic Reduction
22 November 2022
Transform Scotland engages with the Scottish business sector on measures to cut traffic by 20% by 2030.
