It’s being reported that the Scottish Government is going ahead with a manifesto commitment to bring Transport Scotland under direct ministerial control.

The Herald Newspaper says: “Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government body responsible for overseeing Scotland’s roads, rail network and ferries, is set to lose its standalone status and be absorbed into the heart of the new SNP-led government in a move understood to be creating uncertainty within its near 600 permanent staff.”

This follows a report here on Highways News in April – before the Holyrood elections – that pointed out the SNP’s manifesto read: “As part of wider public sector reforms to remove duplication of functions, Transport Scotland will be brought back into the Scottish Government, along with the other national transport bodies.”

The Daily Business adds that other services being provided by arms-length organisations are also likely to be affected, with calls to re-unite the ferries and port owner Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) with the ferries operator Caledonian MacBrayne.

It adds that it remains unclear how changing the status of Transport Scotland would affect the seven regional transport partnerships, including Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) whose chief executive Valerie Davidson is leaving at the end of August.

(Picture – Transport Scotland)