Transform has today (Monday 19 May) submitted its response to the Scottish Government’s Draft Just Transition Plan for Transport.
We welcome the Draft Plan’s useful summary of inequalities in Scotland’s transport system – such as income-based access to cars, rural-urban divides, and barriers faced by marginalised groups. However, the Plan falls short where it matters most: action.
There are no new targets, timelines, or funding commitments. It’s unclear how the Plan aligns with existing strategies, and much of its content duplicates earlier work without offering a clear sense of purpose.
Critically, there is no credible strategy to reform pricing – despite its central role in reducing car dependency, supporting public transport, and replacing lost fuel duty revenues.
Despite acknowledging the polluter pays principle, the Plan also fails to address high-impact behaviours such as frequent flying or urban SUV use.
“If the Just Transition Plan is to add value, it must shift from problem diagnosis to a programme of action. We need to see clear budgets and responsibilities. Without this, ‘just transition’ risks remaining just rhetoric – of which the Scottish Government already has an excess.”
– Laura Hyde-White, public affairs manager
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