Scotland’s pothole repair bill hits £1.7bn
Scottish Labour is claiming the cost of fixing potholes on Scotland’s roads almost £1.7bn. It obtained figures from local authorities via a freedom of information request which suggest council repair backlogs would take £1.68bn of taxpayers’ money to bring Scottish roads up to scratch. Labour has accused the Scottish government of leaving roads to crumble. […]
Scotland adding 276 electric buses to its fleet
The Scottish Government has announced it is spending £62 million on upgrading its fleet of diesel buses to electric vehicles. The money is the first phase of the Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) and will support operators in replacing 276 old buses and introducing the required charging infrastructure. 137 of the buses will be […]
Scottish parliament committee considers M8 “green corridor” plan
Scotland’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee has asked for a more detailed submission about an idea to look at reducing the impact of the M8 in the centre of Glasgow. Glasgow World reports the committee is considering a petition to look at various scenarios, in particular the complete removal of the motorway and repurposing […]
Scottish Transport Minister steps down
The Scottish Transport Minister Graeme Dey has tendered his resignation from the Scottish Government for health-related reasons. Mr Dey served as Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans from 2018, and was appointed Transport Minister following the 2021 Holyrood elections. Accepting his resignation, the First Minister said he had been a formidable minister, and would be […]
Scottish Transport Minister sets out plans to reduce car use
The Scottish Government has published its route map to reduce the distance cars travel by 20% by 2030. The route map sets out a range of sustainable travel behaviours grouped into four categories – travel less, stay local, switch mode and combine a journey. It says additionally, research will be commissioned to explore equitable options for demand […]
Record funding to deliver a just transition to net zero in Scotland
Scotland’s Budget will deliver record levels of investment in tackling the climate emergency – helping to protect and restore the natural environment, and slash emissions from homes, industries and transport. The 2022-23 budget provides more than £2 billion for measures that will accelerate a just transition to a Scotland which leads the way in ending […]
SNP-Green deal aims at reducing Scottish car use
The power sharing agreement in Scotland between the main SNP party and Green party partners is committing to shift money away from roads spending to “provide a realistic and alternative through investing in public transport and active travel.” In their draft shared policy document, the parties say they believe that transport plays a crucial role […]
Scotland “could miss out on” £20m transport cash over review response
The UK Government’s Scotland Office minister David Duguid has accused the Scottish government of a “lack of engagement” with to the Union Connectivity Review into infrastructure in the UK. The Scotsman reports that the review, led by the current chairman of Network Rail and former commissioner of Transport for London Sir Peter Hendy, is where […]
Tougher Scottish drink drive laws “make no difference” – report
A new report is suggesting stricter drink drive limit in Scotland has had “no effect” in reducing accidents. Scottish newspaper the Daily Record reports that researchers at the Universities of Bath and Essex found no change across all types of accidents involving alcohol as a result of a stricter limit of 50mg per 100ml, with […]
Scottish pressure group calls for an end to government’s road building plan
Environmental pressure group Transform Scotland is calling for an end to the Scottish Government’s road building plans, saying that despite promises that they will tackle the Climate Emergency, Scottish Ministers intend to nearly double their spending on new roads over the next decade. Its new report says these plans are despite transport being the largest […]