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Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland
Indicator 14. Travel: distance
Total vehicle kilometres
Traffic on Scottish roads: million vehicle-kilometres
Year | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
All roads | | | | | | | | 42,775 | 43,338 | 43,208 | 43,382 |
Major roads (M and A) | 21,947 | 22,575 | 22,770 | 23,942 | 25,247 | 24,487 | 24,676 | 25,597 | 25,433 | 25,195 | 25,228 |
Source: Department for Transport
Note: These figures will be revised once the Department for Transport has improved its method of estimating the volume of road traffic.
The relevance of the indicator
Road traffic is forecast to rise by 27% by 2021
31. This increase is unsustainable. People should have much greater access to services and goods without needing to travel. Sustainable communities are ones which are planned with travel minimisation as a goal.
Detailed definition and source details
The indicator is defined as the estimated total volume of traffic on Scotland's roads, in millions of vehicle-kilometres, as estimated by the Department for Transport. The data are published annually in Table 6.1 of
Scottish Transport Statistics32. At present, there are no reliable estimates of the total volume of traffic on all roads for the years prior to 1998. Therefore, the chart also shows the estimated volume of traffic on major roads (Motorways and A roads), estimates of which are available for earlier years. These figures will be revised once the Department for Transport has improved its method of estimating the volume of road traffic.
Trends
There has been little change in the estimated volume of traffic on all roads since 1998 (the only years for which estimates are available), or in the estimated volume of traffic on major roads since 1995. However, there was considerable growth in the volume of traffic on major roads in the years up to 1995. The apparent fall between 1995 and 1996 is thought to be due to the effect of local government reorganisation on the method of estimating traffic volumes
33.
Further disaggregation
The present Department for Transport estimates can be disaggregated by road class, speed limit, vehicle type and, for major roads, by local authority. However, they do not provide separate figures for traffic in "rural" and "urban" areas
33. Estimates of the volume of traffic on major roads in Scotland are available for each year back to the mid-1980s.
Target
To stabilise road traffic at 2001 levels by 2021.
Action
Our overriding goal
34 is to tackle the challenge of urban and inter-urban congestion and to stabilise road traffic at 2001 levels by 2021. We will do this through investing in an integrated package of measures - modernising and improving public transport, promoting alternative modes of transport to the private car, and targeted motorway and trunk road improvements. We will also undertake a comprehensive review of the road traffic reduction targets set by the 4 main Scottish cities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and their neighbouring authorities, which will include the identification of a range of measures necessary to deliver these by 2021. We are focusing on the 4 main metropolitan areas because 80% of the predicted increase in road traffic is in these areas.
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