This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Debate on transport services
05/11/2003
Scotland's local authorities will play a vital role in
delivering better transport services, Transport Minister
Nicol Stephen said today.
The Minister was speaking during a debate in the
Scottish Parliament on the proposed transport agency for
Scotland and new regional partnerships of local
authorities. The agency is planned to help deliver the
significant investment secured for improvements such as
extending concessionary fare schemes, supporting direct air
routes to Scotland and integrating improvements to roads
and public transport.
Mr Stephen also announced the Executive's largest ever
cycling investment to the cycling charity SUSTRANS for the
upgrading and maintainance of the National Cycle
Network.
He said:
"Our investment today is our largest investment in
cycling to date and will bring real benefits to cyclists
and walkers across Scotland. By upgrading the whole of the
cycle network in Scotland, we can invest in attracting more
people to cycling and the benefits this activity can
bring.
"The impressive work already undertaken by SUSTRANS
shows what can be achieved by working together."
The Minister outlined a series of four regional
conferences that will be held by the existing voluntary
regional partnerships over the next few weeks to discuss
how best to deliver services in their area. This will be
followed by a national conference to be hosted by the
Scottish Executive in Glasgow on 25 November.
The Minister also said he would shortly be announcing
details of extra funding for public transport projects
across Scotland.
He said:
"Scotland's local authorities are key to delivering
better transport services. Reliable, safe services are key
to connecting our communities and supporting business. We
have the resources in place - we must now agree the best
way forward to deliver the benefits this investment should
bring.
"I will shortly be announcing details of extra funding
for public transport projects which will be allocated to
the four regional transport partnerships and Strathclyde
Passenger Transport. These organisations do good work and
we want to encourage more improvements for passengers
across the country.
"By setting up an agency we can better integrate the way
services are delivered and improve the quality of people's
journeys. I want a framework that allows people to deliver
to the best of their ability and the regional conferences
that begin from next week are a way of agreeing how that
framework might look."
Scotland's Transport: Proposals for a new approach to
transport in Scotland was published in September and
consultation closes on 17 December 2003.
The regional conferences will start in Glasgow on 12
November and will be followed by events in Nairn and
Aberdeen on 17 November and in Edinburgh on 18 November.
The national conference will be held in Glasgow at the
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on November
25.
SUSTRANS is an UK-based charity group with a proven
record of partnership working. It works on practical
projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public
transport. SUSTRANS' National Cycle Network aims to create
10,000 miles of routes throughout the UK. Further
information can be found at (
www.sustrans.org.uk).
This money is in addition to the Executive's
core-funding of the Cycling Scotland promotional
organisation and the dedicated allocation to local
authorities for Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets (CWSS)
projects, including Safer Routes to School (the latter
totals nearly £38 million over the period 2000-2004).