Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG)

Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance - more commonly referred to as STAG - outlines a process that assists transport planners and decision-makers in the development of multi modal transport policies, plans, programmes and projects.

It is an objective-led process that seeks to avoid the traditional solution-led approach and requires transport planners to identify what it is they are trying to achieve before identifying the means of achieving it.

Although the size of the document may appear daunting at first, the structure and philosophy behind the Guidance make it suitable for application across a wide spectrum of transport planning areas both in their size and form.

The principles can equally be applied to the development of low cost solutions to traffic congestion at a roundabout as they can be applied to the development of transport access strategy to an airport. The scale of the analysis and appraisal simply needs to be proportional to the task in hand.

The document is commended to Local Authorities and Consultants for guidance on the appraisal of transport projects for which they have responsibility. However, it is a requirement of the Scottish Ministers that all transport projects for which Scottish Executive support or approval is required, shall be appraised in accordance with this guidance.

The Guidance contains a number of forms and worksheets which may be completed as part of the appraisal process.

Find out more

The document, including access to the various forms and worksheets, is available along with other important transport analysis documents at www.scot-tag.org.uk

The website also contains:

• Links to other relevant websites
• News items
• A list of frequently asked questions about transport analysis guidance within Scotland

Transport Scotland is responsible for STAG.