Cross-Party Group
Transform Scotland provides the secretariat for the Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Sustainable Transport.
CPG on Sustainable Transport
About the group
In November 2021 the Cross-Party Group on Sustainable Transport held their first meeting.
The purpose of this group 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.
Graham Simpson MSP (Conservatives) is the Convenor of the Group, and the three Deputy Convenors are: John Mason MSP (SNP), Sarah Boyack MSP (Labour) and Mark Ruskell MSP (Greens).
This CPG follows on from the CPGs on Rail and on Cycling, Walking & Buses that operated during Session 5 of the Parliament. Transform Scotland provided secretariat function to the CPG CWB in the last Session.
The Group’s membership consists of six MSPs and 40 organisations:
- Graham Simpson MSP
- John Mason MSP
- Sarah Boyack MSP
- Mark Ruskell MSP
- Liam Kerr MSP
- Brian Whittle MSP
- Allan Rail
- 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 Users 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
- Midlothian Disability Access Panel
- Mobility & Access Committee for Scotland (MACS)
- 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
- Transform Scotland
- Patrick Miner (individual)
- Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland
Other organisations and individuals are welcome to contact Transform Scotland to register their interest in attending future meetings and/or becoming members of the CPG.
The group’s work
Transform published the ‘Targeting Traffic’ report on behalf of the CPG, which responds to the Scottish Government’s plan to cut road traffic levels by 20% by 2030.
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.
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…there are no easy answers.”
Click the links below to view the group’s minutes and meeting recordings:
CPG on Cycling, Walking & Buses
Prior to the creation of the Sustainable Transport CPG, the Cross-Party Group on Cycling, Walking and Buses, the last session of which Transform provided the secretariat.
The group held its final meeting on Tuesday 9 March 2021.
Archive materials can be found here.
To find out more about the group and it’s work, read the legacy report (2016-21) below:
Relevant news
What Do Transport Groups Want from the next Scottish Government?
26 March 2021
The Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Cycling, Walking & Buses held its final meeting on Tuesday 9 March. At this meeting, the members of the group were asked to share…
New Parliamentary cross-party group established to study sustainable transport policy
25 November 2021
Today saw the first meeting of the proposed Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Sustainable Transport. Following today’s meeting, a formal proposal will be made to the Scottish Parliament to establish…
Cuts to bus and rail fares needed to meet government’s traffic reduction plans
1 November 2022
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…