Scotland's National Transport Strategy

Chapter 3: Improved Journey Times and Connections

Summary Message

71. To enhance Scotland's global competitiveness and to enable Scotland's economy to maximise its productivity, Scotland needs to ensure that it has a well-connected, sustainable transport network, which offers fast and reliable journey times for both passengers and for businesses needing to transport freight. Transport needs to support major Scottish industries such as tourism, biotechnology, oil and gas, the forest industries, the food and drink sector and financial services. It needs to be easier for visitors, commuters and businesses to connect to global markets and move within and between our major urban centres of economic activity. It is important to attracting and enabling major cultural and sporting events in Scotland, such as the Glasgow 2014 bid for the Commonwealth Games. Transport can help unlock the economic and regeneration potential of particular places. It can connect people in regeneration areas such as our priority areas of the Clyde Corridor, Ayrshire and Inverclyde to economic opportunity enabling more people to become economically active. It can also ensure connections for people who live and work in more remote and rural areas. This chapter will look at how to improve journey times, make them more reliable, improve connections and tackle congestion in Scotland.

Overview

72. The key challenges we face are how to tackle the critical issue of congestion on key corridors and the strategic pinch points in our road and rail networks: how to make journey times more reliable and how to ensure the infrastructure supports economic activity, providing connections to key markets and locations, providing access to work and education and access for visitors. We need to ensure Scotland is well-connected to maximise the potential of globalisation. We need to tackle the congestion problems in many of our cities and towns, including those caused by the School Run which also lead to inactive lifestyles for our children and road accidents which cause deaths and injuries and contribute to problems of congestion and unreliable journey times.

73. Growing the economy remains the devolved Scottish Government's number one priority. But this is not at any cost. Scotland must grow in a way that is sustainable and meets the core principles outlined in our Sustainable Development Strategy.

You told us… that you would welcome confirmation that growing the economy remains a priority while recognising that this must be about securing sustainable economic growth. You suggested that congestion was obstructive due to longer and, importantly, unreliable journey times and creating reliable journey times was often viewed as a greater priority than reducing journey times. You also commented that air quality problems were a key factor in addressing congestion in towns and cities.

74. The outcome we want to achieve is to improve journey times, make them more reliable and to enhance connections. We cannot aim to improve journey times across all modes. Indeed, this would be unrealistic and unnecessary in some cases. However, where economic benefits can be derived we will seek to improve or maintain journey times for key modes of transport and key users.

75. The broader benefits that will accrue from this will include improved economic growth, greater productivity, improved air quality and improved health through enabling more active travel.

76. To measure progress against this outcome we will report on a range of monitoring indicators in reviews of the strategy. These indicators will include:

Congestion - through the existing measure of time lost on trunk roads due to congestion (or other causes) and, if appropriate, through the development of new measures (see box on traffic growth);
No. of international routes from Scottish airports;
ScotRail passenger kilometres; and
Rail punctuality.

77. In addition, we will continue to deliver against our current targets and publish annually detailed road casualty figures. Current targets for 2010 are for a 40% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries (50% for children) and a 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres. ⁴⁹ These targets have now been met, however it is essential that the current rate of decline is maintained therefore we will consider setting more stringent targets for the remainder of this period.

Delivering improved journey times and connections - What we will do

Enhance Scotland's strategic transport network

78. Our strategic networks are particularly important for connecting our cities, connecting our towns with cities and bringing people and goods to those cities. They are also critical for providing key routes into our wider regions, including the Highlands and Islands, to our regeneration areas, to England and global markets to contribute to the accessibility of Scotland as a whole through road, rail and ports connections. This means the strategic networks have a particular role in providing for the longer intercity and inter-region journeys. They are critical for commuters and visitors alike. Our tourism industry depends on people travelling to Scotland and people travelling around Scotland. Our National Transport Strategy and the Strategic Transport Projects Review will continue to improve Scotland's competitiveness in the international tourist market.

79. Much has already been done to develop and improve Scotland's strategic transport network with the completion of the M77 motorway, the launch of a new high quality Scotrail franchise in 2004, provision of additional trains and completion of the Larkhall Milngavie rail link in 2005. We are committed to delivering through our existing infrastructure plan to 2012 a significant number of key transport projects such as completion of the motorway network with work on the M74, M8 and M80, provision of a second crossing at Kincardine Bridge, construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral route, the Stirling Alloa Kincardine rail link, the Edinburgh and Glasgow Airport rail links, the Airdrie-Bathgate rail link, the Borders rail link, redevelopment of Waverley Station and Edinburgh trams which will enhance the strategic transport network. We will ensure that the strategic and economic role of ports is included in considering improvements in road and rail infrastructure, for example in key national and international ferry and cargo links and transport corridors.

80. There is a real tension between wanting our strategic networks both to contribute to economic growth and social cohesion in Scotland, through providing better connections and faster journey times, and at the same time, minimising the impact on the environment of the emissions associated with increased travel. In particular we do not believe that it is realistic to expect reduced emissions from the trunk road network without compromising our economic growth and accessibility objectives. However, we will continue to explore ways in which the environmental impact of the trunk road network can be minimised both during design and construction, and in the subsequent maintenance during its life.

81. We will focus on improving journey times for rail on intercity journeys, to make rail competitive with journey times by car and will focus on making the best use of our urban rail networks for commuting into Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres in particular, but also across Scotland.

82. For trunk roads we want to focus on provision of reliable journey times in the face of anticipated traffic growth, tackling congestion where it affects journey time reliability, through maintaining reliable and safe networks, targeted capacity enhancement and managing demand for the network. The specific measures that we will take are detailed in the rest of this chapter.

83. Our strategic focus for our networks will be followed through in two ways:

The Strategic Transport Projects Review ( STPR) in its consideration of key corridors in the context of this National Transport Strategy, can provide an evidence base for the types of journeys on each corridor, and can provide a basis for a review of whether and where our networks need to be updated.
The National Planning Framework should incorporate and reinforce this definition of the role of the strategic transport networks, setting a framework within which additions and changes to both the rail and trunk road network can be assessed, and ensuring thorough integration of transport and the planning process.

Figure 7: NTS: Linkages

84. The STPR will not take place in isolation from other spending plans or other policy priorities such as regeneration. All future spending plans of the Scottish Government are determined in detail through the existing Spending Review process. This will provide the opportunity to review the balance of capital and revenue expenditure and will look at the balance of investment across modes to deliver our strategy.

85. Figure 7 illustrates therefore the connection between the NTS, the Spending Review and the Regional and Local Transport Strategies. This NTS sets the strategic direction for investment, but specific details both in terms of policy and the STPR will be set by the level of funding agreed through the Spending Review process. This in turn will influence and be influenced by the strategic outcomes at a regional and local level. Spending patterns, for example, directly to regional transport partnerships and local authorities or via Grant Aided Expenditure ( GAE), will continue to be determined through the Spending Review process, directed towards the key strategic outcomes of the strategy.

Enhance connections with our global markets by air and sea

Air

86. A Smart, Successful Scotland has a vision for Scotland with sustained productivity growth, competitiveness and prosperity. It envisages Scotland as a globally connected European nation. While air links with the rest of the United Kingdom have been traditionally good, the lack of direct air routes to the United States and European destinations was seen to stifle economic growth in Scotland. To remain competitive in international markets it is important to ensure that Scotland has direct air access. We established the Air Route Development Fund in November 2002 to meet the clear objectives of better business connections, encouraging inward investment and better access for inbound tourists.

87. The Air Route Development Fund has contributed to a dramatic improvement in Scotland's direct air network by providing landing charge discounts for up to three years for new routes which can demonstrate that they will deliver Fund objectives for business and tourism. Funding has also been provided for key domestic routes to Inverness, Aberdeen and Stornoway. There are currently 31 routes operating under the scheme and 3 routes which were initially supported by the scheme are now operating without subsidy.

88. It is recognised that the Scottish market cannot sustain the level of service provision at airports in south east England. The Fund's objective, however, as far as is possible, is for Scotland to have an air network which is viable in the long term and which meets the needs of Scottish business, encourages inward investment and provides easier access to Scotland for tourists and we will continue to support the development of new direct air routes which meet these aims. The development of more direct international air services will also reduce the need for travellers to use connecting flights through airports in the south-east of England. We will continue to investigate the feasibility of high speed rail to England as an alternative to domestic flights.

You told us… that you wanted the NTS to set the context and framework within which the STPR should take place. The issue of the balance of funding between capital and revenue and between different modes and geographies was also raised in the consultation. Many of you said that these should be strategically considered as part of the next Spending Review in the context of the STPR.

You told us… that you wanted to see more direct routes to mainland Europe and the enhancement of rail access to key airports such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. Your opinions were divided on the merits of the Air Route Development Fund with most business responses highlighting the benefits of direct air travel and responses from environmental bodies suggesting that encouraging any form of air travel was unsustainable.

89. The UK Government's Air Transport White Paper, The Future of Air Transport, ⁵⁰ provides a strategic framework for the development of air transport up to 2030. The Scottish Government concurs with the UK Government that simply building more and more capacity to meet the demand is not a sustainable way forward and that instead, a balanced approach is required which:

Recognises the importance of air travel to our national and regional economic prosperity and reflects the social and other benefits that affordable air travel brings;
Seeks, however, to reduce and minimise the impact of airports on the environment;
Ensures, over time, that the price of air travel reflects its environmental and social impacts;
Makes the best use of existing capacity where possible;
Respects the rights and interests of those affected by airport development and provides greater certainty for all concerned in the planning of future airport capacity, while being sufficiently flexible to recognise and adapt to the uncertainties inherent in long-term planning.

90. Taking all of these considerations into account, the White Paper encourages growth at Scotland's airports, including the development of new direct routes which reduce the need for connecting through the congested airports in south east England. For Scotland its main conclusions are that:

Land should be safeguarded for terminal development and an additional runway at Edinburgh Airport;
Substantial terminal development at Glasgow Airport is supported, and should be safeguarded;
Measures should be considered to ensure that the possibility of providing an additional runway at Glasgow Airport during the period of the White Paper should be safeguarded;
The development of a new Central Scotland airport was not supported;
Terminal and other facilities should be developed to support growth at Glasgow, Prestwick, Aberdeen and Dundee;
There may also be a need for runway developments at Aberdeen and Inverness; and
There will be a need for enhancements at some of the smaller airports in the Highlands and Islands.

91. We will continue to work closely with the UK Government on the implementation of the White Paper in Scotland, taking into account the need to consider any potential air emissions and environmental noise impacts.

Scotland's Ports

92. An effective road and rail infrastructure to support national and international connections by sea is essential to ensure that the critical role of ports in supporting and contributing to Scotland's business and economic health is fully realised. Ports are a key sector, not only in terms of cargo movements and related services within and outwith Scotland and the ferry industry, but also in relation to tourism, including the cruise liner and leisure craft sectors. Future areas of possible development are international transhipment, feeder services and short sea shipping. The ports sector needs to be able to thrive and exploit these potential opportunities in a balanced but competitive market. To ensure that this happens, we will evaluate the infrastructure serving our ports, key national and international ferry routes in the Strategic Transport Projects Review and we will, through our Freight Action Plan consider ways to enhance international freight networks.

93. We will continue to support UK and international ferry routes including routes to Northern Ireland, Ireland, mainland Europe and beyond. Where possible we will work with the enterprise networks and VisitScotland to support specific international routes.

Enhance connections with the rest of Great Britain and on to global markets

94. Cross-border connections through the trunk road and rail networks are essential for Scotland's economic productivity. Rail and road links help to move freight across the country keeping shops and other services running and are vital for businesses to move goods from production to market. They are also key to the tourism industry in the light of the fact that the vast majority of Scotland's tourists are from Scotland and the rest of the UK.

95. We will drive forward the delivery of the current £3 billion capital investment programme of improvements to both the trunk road and rail networks and we will continue to ensure that Scotland's trunk road and rail network are managed efficiently, effectively and economically. Through the Strategic Transport Projects Review we will review the effectiveness of key strategic transport corridors including those to airports, ports and the border to the south with England, linked to the spatial priorities for housing, regeneration and planning identified in the National Planning Framework.

Evidence Base: The links between transport and productivity were investigated in recent research for the Department for Transport. ⁵¹ One possible link is through agglomeration effects in urban areas. Transport improvements can contribute in two main ways. The first is that by improving links between firms, the effective density of the city cluster rises. The second is that by relaxing constraints on access to the centre of the city, overall city employment is increased.

96. We will work with DfT to improve journey times and frequency of rail services to key destinations such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham and work with the Highways Agency on the maintenance and reliability of our key cross-border routes.

97. Responsibility for cross-border rail services is reserved to the Secretary of State for Transport, however we liaise closely over matters affecting Scotland, including examining the potential value of high speed rail links to London and on to Europe. We are committed to investigating the feasibility and value for money of a high speed rail link between Scotland and London and will work closely with the UK Government on this issue.

Improve journey times between, and within, our major centres of economic growth

98. We recognise that enhancing connections and improving journey times between and within our major centres of economic growth is vital. This is not about specific routes but also reflects our desire to improve the interface between different modes of transport making the whole journey experience easier and more reliable thereby encouraging more people to use public transport.

99. For rail we intend to focus on reducing intercity journey times to make rail competitive with journey times by car and making best use of our urban rail networks for commuting into Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres particularly. The key strengths of the rail network are that it supports economic activity in our major urban areas, through enabling commuting from a wide labour market area, it provides quality inter-urban links, provides a critical link in the power generation supply chain through movement of large volumes of coal and addresses peripherality by providing access to more remote communities for residents and tourists.

100. We will work with the Office of Rail Regulation to ensure that Network Rail delivers an efficient and effective rail network. We will plan for growth - demand for passenger services and rail freight is forecast to increase by a third over the next 20 years. Our plan will be to focus on enhancements to meet this planned growth and to offer services that are fast, reliable and regular for example, we recognise the importance to the business community of continuing to improve the service between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Our approach to achieve this is set out in more detail in Scotland's Railways. The Strategic Transport Projects Review will determine the priority improvements for rail alongside those for other modes.

101. For Buses, our aim is to ensure that the infrastructure and incentives are in place so that bus operators improve services to hold on to current passengers and achieve modal shift from cars. Buses provide high occupancy sustainable mass transport, promoting economic growth and social inclusion. Buses are the principal, most frequently used and most widely available mode of public transport. They are flexible and new services can be developed and introduced very quickly where demand is identified. They are also particularly important in rural areas. Our priority is to encourage the bus market to continue to improve services to attract passengers and, where required, improve bus journey times.

102. We are publishing a Bus Action Plan as part of the National Transport Strategy. It will help to ensure that there is a step change in planning, partnership and the policy framework for buses and provide fresh impetus to the contribution that buses make to growing the economy and supporting communities.

103. Infrastructure measures on local and trunk roads are key to improving bus journey times. These include on-road demand management measures (bus priority measures, bus lanes on key arterial corridors, park and ride, traffic management systems and Bus Rapid Transit on segregated sections of roadway). We will actively support regional transport partnerships and local authorities through our significant investment in them. RTPs are receiving £70 million between 2006-08 from the Executive, including £10 million for bus-related investment with local authorities receiving GAE funding of £56 million between 2006-08 for supported services and £730 million for local roads in the same period.

104. Bus priority measures can often be introduced without affecting car users. However, where road space is limited, bus priority measures such as bus lanes may reduce the road space available for car users. RTPs and local authorities should introduce bus lanes and other bus priority measures which reduce the space available to car users wherever this is justified. Modal shift from car to bus is achieved by use of carrot and stick - carrot in the form of improved bus services in terms of frequency, quality of vehicle and speed and stick in the form of restrictions on car use.

105. For trunk roads we want to focus on provision of reliable journey times in the face of anticipated traffic growth and tackling congestion where it affects journey time reliability, through:

maintaining reliable and safe networks;
targeted capacity enhancement; and
managing demand for the network.

106. On some routes we may prioritise improvements for all or certain users, such as buses or multiple occupancy vehicles, to reduce their optimum journey time as well as improve reliability.

107. Maintaining reliable and safe trunk and local road networks is key to achieving reliable journey times. Efficient maintenance of the performance and condition of our strategic networks needs sufficient investment to sustain our infrastructure for the long term. Robust asset management plans have a key role in delivering appropriate maintenance regimes. We are currently developing a Trunk Road Asset Management Plan to ensure that the trunk road network, an asset valued at over £12 billion, continues to be maintained effectively. The STPR will identify the extent to which a programme of targeted structural investment is required to safeguard the structural integrity of the network and maintain its value, safety and serviceability.

108. Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 contains provision to improve theco-ordination, planning and quality of road works and in turn, increase the efficiency of the road network. It establishes a Scottish Road Works Commissioner to monitor the quality of all roads works at a national level, to drive and promote improvements and to impose penalties for poor performance. New and enhanced duties are placed on road works authorities and undertakers to co-ordinate and plan their works via the Scottish Road Works Register.

109. We will continue to fund local road maintenance through GAE and will encourage transport authorities to spend this allocation on maintaining local roads at an appropriate standard, including rural roads affected by timber production and other primary industries.

110. Targeted capacity enhancement is about making the best use of the network. Specific trunk road enhancements such as, for example. provision of additional lanes or strategically important bypasses, will be considered as part of the multi-modal STPR, however, we will also support a range of other measures to enhance the capacity of the network, including:

Continue to support Traffic Scotland and Freight Scotland in using a wide range of Intelligent Transport Systems ( ITS) technologies to improve journey time reliability, reduce disruption caused by incidents and road works, minimise the effects of congestion and improve safety and security for travellers.
Roll out the Traffic Scotland strategy to ensure a consistent level of service for monitoring, controlling and informing traffic on the whole of the trunk road network.
Procure a new Integrated Transport Management Control Centre and establish a Transport Network Knowledge Management database to allow better management of the whole transport network.
Explore the possibility of increasing the use of ramp metering, electronic speed control and Active Traffic Management to improve traffic flow in congested areas.
Encourage greater partnership working between Transport Scotland and local authorities on trunk and local roads issues, with a longer term view to exploring options for a partnership approach to trunk and local roads contract management and intelligent information systems.
Publish a report on traffic levels and congestion on the most congested parts of the Trunk Road Network.

You told us… that you recognised the importance of demand management measures and the fact that there needs to be a balance between ensuring improved access and achieving modal shift from cars to public transport. You also acknowledged that demand management measures do not work best in isolation but as part of a package of interventions. You recognised that parking policy and park and ride were key and already being successful but that more could be done.

Evidence Base: Whilst an increasing amount of research and literature is emerging with respect to tackling congestion (including the potential for economic instruments such as road pricing and the benefits of 'packages of measures'), less evidence is available on the full costs of congestion, particularly in a Scottish context. We are currently undertaking research looking at the costs of congestion and how to measure them. The first stage of this work involves an international literature review of the costs of congestion and a review of currently available information on levels of congestion in Scotland.

111. Managing demand on the network has a vital role to play in ensuring more reliable journey times and reducing congestion.

112. We are already doing a great deal in Scotland to manage demand on the network and we will continue to support this activity. This includes:

Encouraging regional transport partnerships to create a network of innovative parking and park and choose facilities at suitable sites near our towns and cities and at key interchange hubs catering for all forms of transport and ensuring they introduce bus priority measures on key corridors;
Encouraging local authorities to take forward decriminalised parking enforcement and to enhance their parking policies to manage demand;
Encouraging regional transport partnerships and local authorities to provide safer cycle facilities as part of the urban realm, at key transport interchanges, as part of new developments and at key public buildings;
Assessing the benefits of and piloting demand management measures that promote modal shift, journey time reliability and reduced journey times for key users;
Developing further evidence about freight movement across Scotland in order to establish whether there are potential benefits to be gained by developing strategic freight hubs and removing night-time curfews on freight as part of our Freight Action Plan. The sustainable movement of freight is vital to supporting a vibrant and growing economy; and
Supporting local authorities to take forward road user charging schemes.

Tackling traffic growth
The growth of road traffic levels is unsustainable in the longer term - it is already resulting in a range of problems that affect our economy, our environment and our quality of life. Most of us are aware of these problems, but our car use continues to rise. Cars provide enormous advantages to those who have them, and they will continue to play a critical role. But we are going to have to use cars far more responsibly - this will require us both to understand the true cost of motoring, and to have genuine alternatives. The aspirational target to stabilise road traffic volumes at 2001 levels by 2021 was re-iterated in the 2004 White Paper Scotland's Transport Future. Research published in 2006 The Evaluation and Review of Local Authority Road Traffic Reduction Targets⁵² concludes that there is little requirement for a national road traffic reduction target, and that such a target would be meaningful only for small sections of Scotland. The consultation for the National Transport Strategy has illustrated that there is no consensus on continuing to retain the target - in general environmental groups support retaining the target. Other consultees suggest that the target should be replaced with targets focussing on environmental issues and congestion, and still others say the target is unrealistic and not underpinned by analysis. A recurring theme is that the target may not be appropriate in rural areas. In considering whether to retain the target, we need to be clear about the outcomes we are trying to achieve. Some of these outcomes are local in nature, and therefore require locally based solutions, and some are national. Some are suited for a target based approach, and others are not. Traffic stabilisation, at a national level could 'hide' a number of regional or local problems. In addition, there are a number of complexities around the definition and measuring of the target. Given these circumstances, we think it appropriate to take a more sophisticated approach. We will retain the aspirational target to stabilise road traffic volumes at 2001 levels by 2021 and will continue to publish national traffic figures annually to ensure we understand and can address the big picture. However, we will also disentangle the problems to ensure we focus on meaningful outcomes. These will include emissions, congestion, and how many people are choosing walking and cycling as an alternative to the car. These outcomes are expressed throughout the strategy - emissions ( chapter 4), elements of congestion ( chapter 3) and health ( chapters 3, 4 and 5). Where appropriate, we will be considering targets for these problems - our research on congestion for example, will set the groundwork for considering how we measure and tackle congestion in the future, and how we assess whether we have been successful. Chapter 4 also outlines our approach to carbon measurement and reduction. We will introduce a carbon balance sheet. Transport must play a significant role in delivering the objectives of Scotland's Climate Change Programme. Importantly, we will also ensure that the mechanisms are in place for local authorities and RTPs to reduce the wider impacts of traffic on communities. As well as traffic stabilisation in badly affected areas, we should think about local traffic reduction. Where urban areas are congested, the only way to provide more space for sustainable transport modes is to take road space away from private cars, either permanently or on a 'shift' basis. Evidence from a number of European cities shows that this reallocation does not result in further traffic chaos - traffic that was previously in the vicinity 'disappears' or 'evaporates'. As a result, the urban environment becomes more liveable. In these car free or car reduced spaces, pedestrians and cyclists enjoy a cleaner, quieter and safer environment - and bus users have a higher quality service. Taking capacity away from the local private road user would be a major decision for authorities to take. However, there is a wealth of experience which illustrates how successful such schemes can be, if undertaken in an incremental manner in close cooperation with the communities involved. One of the biggest challenges is meeting the concerns of retailers and small businesses. Case studies illustrate that these concerns can be managed and tend to prove unfounded. Successful European examples of traffic reduction schemes include Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Wolverhampton.

Tackling traffic growth

The growth of road traffic levels is unsustainable in the longer term - it is already resulting in a range of problems that affect our economy, our environment and our quality of life. Most of us are aware of these problems, but our car use continues to rise. Cars provide enormous advantages to those who have them, and they will continue to play a critical role. But we are going to have to use cars far more responsibly - this will require us both to understand the true cost of motoring, and to have genuine alternatives.

The aspirational target to stabilise road traffic volumes at 2001 levels by 2021 was re-iterated in the 2004 White Paper Scotland's Transport Future. Research published in 2006 The Evaluation and Review of Local Authority Road Traffic Reduction Targets⁵² concludes that there is little requirement for a national road traffic reduction target, and that such a target would be meaningful only for small sections of Scotland. The consultation for the National Transport Strategy has illustrated that there is no consensus on continuing to retain the target - in general environmental groups support retaining the target. Other consultees suggest that the target should be replaced with targets focussing on environmental issues and congestion, and still others say the target is unrealistic and not underpinned by analysis. A recurring theme is that the target may not be appropriate in rural areas.

In considering whether to retain the target, we need to be clear about the outcomes we are trying to achieve. Some of these outcomes are local in nature, and therefore require locally based solutions, and some are national. Some are suited for a target based approach, and others are not. Traffic stabilisation, at a national level could 'hide' a number of regional or local problems. In addition, there are a number of complexities around the definition and measuring of the target.

Given these circumstances, we think it appropriate to take a more sophisticated approach. We will retain the aspirational target to stabilise road traffic volumes at 2001 levels by 2021 and will continue to publish national traffic figures annually to ensure we understand and can address the big picture. However, we will also disentangle the problems to ensure we focus on meaningful outcomes. These will include emissions, congestion, and how many people are choosing walking and cycling as an alternative to the car. These outcomes are expressed throughout the strategy - emissions ( chapter 4), elements of congestion ( chapter 3) and health ( chapters 3, 4 and 5). Where appropriate, we will be considering targets for these problems - our research on congestion for example, will set the groundwork for considering how we measure and tackle congestion in the future, and how we assess whether we have been successful. Chapter 4 also outlines our approach to carbon measurement and reduction. We will introduce a carbon balance sheet. Transport must play a significant role in delivering the objectives of Scotland's Climate Change Programme.

Importantly, we will also ensure that the mechanisms are in place for local authorities and RTPs to reduce the wider impacts of traffic on communities. As well as traffic stabilisation in badly affected areas, we should think about local traffic reduction. Where urban areas are congested, the only way to provide more space for sustainable transport modes is to take road space away from private cars, either permanently or on a 'shift' basis. Evidence from a number of European cities shows that this reallocation does not result in further traffic chaos - traffic that was previously in the vicinity 'disappears' or 'evaporates'. As a result, the urban environment becomes more liveable. In these car free or car reduced spaces, pedestrians and cyclists enjoy a cleaner, quieter and safer environment - and bus users have a higher quality service.

Taking capacity away from the local private road user would be a major decision for authorities to take. However, there is a wealth of experience which illustrates how successful such schemes can be, if undertaken in an incremental manner in close cooperation with the communities involved. One of the biggest challenges is meeting the concerns of retailers and small businesses. Case studies illustrate that these concerns can be managed and tend to prove unfounded. Successful European examples of traffic reduction schemes include Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Wolverhampton.

Case Study:
Stockholm introduced a congestion tax trial where owners of Swedish registered vehicles had to pay a charge when they crossed a control point (inward or outward). Costs varied by time of day, on weekdays between 0630 and 1829. Average daily payment is 25 Kroner - about £1.92 (maximum daily is 60 K- about £4.62). Trial ran from 3 January 2006 to 31 July 2006. Up to 22% less traffic has resulted; 30-50% decrease in queue times; 10-14% decrease in CO2; 13% decrease in PM10; Estimated that there will be 20-25 fewer early deaths in Stockholm as a result of cleaner air; and Scheme could also prevent 40-70 personal injury accidents per year. About 500 million Kroner (£38.5 million) has been raised while the budget for the trial was 2.926 billion Kroner (£225 million). So the trial itself (7 months) was not an economic success but it is estimated the scheme would payback in four years. A referendum took place on 17 September 2006 and the end result from all boroughs in the City of Stockholm was 51.3% yes; 45.5% no; 2% blank; and 1.2% invalid. 14 other municipalities in the county of Stockholm also held referendums and the results as well as further details on the effects of the trial can be found at http://www.stockholmforsoket.se.

Case Study:

Stockholm introduced a congestion tax trial where owners of Swedish registered vehicles had to pay a charge when they crossed a control point (inward or outward). Costs varied by time of day, on weekdays between 0630 and 1829. Average daily payment is 25 Kroner - about £1.92 (maximum daily is 60 K- about £4.62). Trial ran from 3 January 2006 to 31 July 2006.

Up to 22% less traffic has resulted; 30-50% decrease in queue times;
10-14% decrease in CO2;
13% decrease in PM10;
Estimated that there will be 20-25 fewer early deaths in Stockholm as a result of cleaner air; and
Scheme could also prevent 40-70 personal injury accidents per year.

About 500 million Kroner (£38.5 million) has been raised while the budget for the trial was 2.926 billion Kroner (£225 million). So the trial itself (7 months) was not an economic success but it is estimated the scheme would payback in four years.

A referendum took place on 17 September 2006 and the end result from all boroughs in the City of Stockholm was 51.3% yes; 45.5% no; 2% blank; and 1.2% invalid. 14 other municipalities in the county of Stockholm also held referendums and the results as well as further details on the effects of the trial can be found at http://www.stockholmforsoket.se.

113. In the context of the National Transport Strategy we believe that more could be done to manage demand on the road network through Road Pricing. The Executive is committed to using Road Pricing as a mechanism to address traffic impacts, both in terms of continuing to work with the UK Government in developing UK policy and utilising our own devolved powers. This means using our existing legislation and potentially enhancing it in the future.

114. Therefore we intend in the future to:

Continue to support local authorities and RTPs who wish to take forward road user charging in a local or regional context. We intend to re-develop our Integrated Transport Initiative ( ITI) guidance and streamline the process for potential transport authorities to take forward charging schemes;
Work with RTPs to consider taking forward a road pricing pilot in a medium sized urban area to consider how a road pricing scheme might work in a Scottish context;
Take forward a communications strategy on road pricing in Scotland to encourage constructive debate around the problems traffic growth and congestion are causing and how road pricing might have a role in addressing these problems;
Develop policy guidance to allow Transport Scotland to consider applicability and feasibility of tolling or charging at the appraisal stage for all new or enhanced strategic road infrastructure;
Undertake technical studies at pinch points and problem corridors in order to assess whether pricing is appropriate for the trunk road network on existing infrastructure;
Investigate funding options that would encourage innovation in tackling congestion on the local road network across Scotland;
Publish the 2006 toll impact review of the Tay and Forth road bridges; and
Continue to work with the UK Government on proposals for a UK-based road pricing scheme.

115. We will abolish road tolling across the whole of Scotland, when road user pricing is introduced.

Evidence Base: Research ⁵³ has shown that in areas where 20 mph zones with traffic calming measures have been introduced, injury accidents have fallen by 60%, child pedestrian accidents by 70% and child cyclist accidents by 48%.

You told us… that we must not be complacent about our record on safety and we must continue to fund Road Safety Scotland and 20mph zones around schools.

Evidence Base: Research plays a vital role in understanding road safety issues and suggesting appropriate interventions. We work closely with Road Safety Scotland to ensure that our evidence base is continually evolving in the right direction and place great importance on the exchange of knowledge with other key partners. In 2005, the Executive published its Plan to Improve Road Safety: Good Practice Guidelines ⁵⁴ aimed at enabling local authorities to adopt best practice to help cut casualties across the whole of Scotland. Our road safety evidence base is extensive and we will continue to develop it.

Reduce congestion in towns and cities caused by the School Run

116. Walking is the nearest activity to perfect exercise, most people can do it and it costs nothing. Yet between 1985/86 and 2003/04, the average distance travelled by foot has fallen by 30%. ⁵⁵ By investing in better infrastructure links between community facilities such as health centres, transport hubs and schools, we believe that cycling and walking as travel options are realistic alternatives to using the car for journeys to work, school and for leisure purposes.

117. The 'School Run' brings 21% of children to school every day, adding to congestion and air pollution. There are many reasons for parents driving their children to school, including real issues about safety and perception of safety, as well as issues of convenience and speed. In addition, while children living a certain distance from their local catchment school are entitled to free school transport, the entitlement does not apply to those attending another school as the result of a placing request - the journeys required for those attending schools outwith their catchment areas can add to congestion related to the school run. We would not wish in anyway to constrain parents' statutory right to exercise choice about about which school their children attend. However, a factor which we would hope they take into account in making that choice is the environmental impact of the journey, where the pupil is not eligible for free school transport. We want to add to our existing knowledge base to provide a better understanding of these issues in order to tackle the congestion caused by the school run and to improve the health of our children by encouraging them to walk and cycle to school.

118. We will invest £10 million in the next two years to develop innovative and sustainable alternative ways of getting to and from school. We will achieve this by improving access and safety through building more cycle/walking paths, by introducing more 20mph zones and/or vehicle free zones around schools, encouraging more 'walking buses' and 'walk once a week' initiatives, and through continued support to School Travel Co-ordinators in developing travel plans for each school in Scotland. We believe that this will bring benefits not only for congestion, but also for the health and safety of our children.

Improving the safety of journeys

Encourage the setting of more appropriate and consistent speed limits on local roads

119. The GB Road Safety Strategy: Tomorrow's Roads - Safer for Everyone ⁵⁶ included a commitment to update the guidance to local authorities on the setting of local speed limits. The updated guidance was issued in August 2006. The guidance is aimed at achieving more appropriate and more consistent speed limits across the country, leading to greater understanding of and compliance with speed limits and reductions in road accidents involving inappropriate or excessive speed. Local authorities have been asked to review, by 2011, the speed limits on all A and B class roads in their area in accordance with the new guidance.

Case Study:
A commitment by pupils, teachers, parents and local authority to work together has enabled Torbain Primary School in Kirkcaldy to deliver walking, cycling and safety improvements following the implementation of a Safer Routes to School Plan. Questionnaires, class interviews and surveys, traffic speed monitoring and an analysis of crash statistics were all undertaken. An impressive response rate of 73 per cent among parents was achieved as questionnaires were given out at parents' evening, with a request for them to be completed that night. The research work pointed to a number of problems: Congestion outside the school was made worse by inconsiderate parking A third of the 600 pupils wanted to cycle to school Most parents wanted their children to walk to school and said they would do if the routes were improved Parents and children already walking to school felt their routes were safe Immediate objectives of the plan were to solve the school gate congestion problems by introducing a new park and walk scheme, promoting existing footways as safer routes, constructing five new footway links, installing four new Zebra crossings and implementing "no waiting" and enforceable "school keep clear" road markings. These measures have now been implemented.

Case Study:

A commitment by pupils, teachers, parents and local authority to work together has enabled Torbain Primary School in Kirkcaldy to deliver walking, cycling and safety improvements following the implementation of a Safer Routes to School Plan. Questionnaires, class interviews and surveys, traffic speed monitoring and an analysis of crash statistics were all undertaken. An impressive response rate of 73 per cent among parents was achieved as questionnaires were given out at parents' evening, with a request for them to be completed that night. The research work pointed to a number of problems:

Congestion outside the school was made worse by inconsiderate parking
A third of the 600 pupils wanted to cycle to school
Most parents wanted their children to walk to school and said they would do if the routes were improved
Parents and children already walking to school felt their routes were safe

Immediate objectives of the plan were to solve the school gate congestion problems by introducing a new park and walk scheme, promoting existing footways as safer routes, constructing five new footway links, installing four new Zebra crossings and implementing "no waiting" and enforceable "school keep clear" road markings. These measures have now been implemented.

Continue to support the introduction of 20mph zones around schools

120. Scotland is already at the leading edge of introducing 20mph zones around schools. Currently two thirds of Scottish schools are covered by 20mph zones. Our ambition is that by 2008 all Scottish schools will be covered by a properly enforced 20mph zone where this is appropriate. We have already committed to spending £50 million between 2003 and 2008 on the introduction of 20mph speed limits around schools, Safer Routes to Schools projects and Home Zones and will continue to promote and support this.

Fund Road Safety Education and Marketing Initiatives

121. The Scottish Government currently funds Road Safety Scotland to produce road safety education resources and publicity messages, for example 'Crash Magnets' a road safety education resource for upper secondary school pupils, focusing on attitudes to driving behaviour, which links to the Scottish curriculum. We also support the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland to ensure the availability of free road safety training for all 3 and 4 year old children, fund pilot child pedestrian training schemes for 5 and 6 year olds in selected local authorities to support the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' programme of road safety activities in Scotland. These initiatives have contributed to reducing the numbers of accidents across Scotland. We will continue to support these key initiatives.

122. We want to go further. We will support initiatives targeting children from disadvantaged areas and raise awareness of road safety issues for groups for whom English is not their first language. We will also look at ways of reducing accidents on rural roads.

Target safety improvements for motorcyclists

123. The most recent transport statistics demonstrate that although Scotland has made significant improvements to the numbers of people killed or injured through accidents, the one area where numbers are increasing is for motorcyclists. We believe that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Research published in 2004 ⁵⁷ provided information about the extent of motorcyclist accidents, while a second study, ⁵⁸ published in June 2006, provided an insight into attitudes to risk taking by motorcyclists. We will look at ways of improving motorcyclist safety in the light of these studies and will continue to liaise with the motorcycling community.

Case Study:
Road Safety Scotland has developed "Crash Magnets" a road safety education resource for upper secondary school pupils, which links to the Scottish curriculum. It focuses primarily on attitudes to driving behaviour, as research has shown that such attitudes are largely formed before people get behind the wheel. The programme comprises a DVD with 5 programmes which covers topics including peer influence, distraction, the cruise culture, speed, drink and drug driving and the law. Additional teaching materials, stretching to 10 lessons, are available from the "Crash Magnets" toolbox. The DVD informs discussion and stimulates debate exploring current trends and recent events in an up-beat way. The resource acknowledges the attraction and benefits of driving, while encouraging young people to become responsible road users and drivers.

Case Study:

Road Safety Scotland has developed "Crash Magnets" a road safety education resource for upper secondary school pupils, which links to the Scottish curriculum. It focuses primarily on attitudes to driving behaviour, as research has shown that such attitudes are largely formed before people get behind the wheel.

The programme comprises a DVD with 5 programmes which covers topics including peer influence, distraction, the cruise culture, speed, drink and drug driving and the law. Additional teaching materials, stretching to 10 lessons, are available from the "Crash Magnets" toolbox. The DVD informs discussion and stimulates debate exploring current trends and recent events in an up-beat way. The resource acknowledges the attraction and benefits of driving, while encouraging young people to become responsible road users and drivers.

Evidence Base: Research ⁵⁹ has shown that child pedestrians in the lowest socio-economic group are more than 4 times as likely to be killed as those in the highest socio-economic group. It also identified significant differences in pedestrian casualty rates for children from ethnic minorities.

Our Key Commitments

Delivery of the current capital investment programme of improvement to both the trunk road and rail networks to 2012.
Take forward the STPR based on the key strategic outcomes for Scotland's National Transport Strategy.
Publish Scotland's Railways.
Work with the UK Government to investigate the potential value of high speed rail links to London and on to Europe.
Publish a Trunk Road Asset Management Plan.
Publish our Freight Action Plan.
Investigate funding options that would encourage innovation in tackling congestion on the local road network across Scotland.
Publish our Bus Action Plan.
Publish the 2006 toll impact review of the Tay and Forth Road bridges.
Continue to work with the UK Government on proposals for a UK based road pricing scheme.
Invest £10 million in the next two years to tackle congestion from the School Run.
Work with local authorities to ensure that, where appropriate, all Scottish schools are covered by a 20mph zone by 2008.
Develop initiatives targeting children from disadvantaged areas who are at greater risk of injury in road accidents.

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