On this page you will find out about the range of ways of influencing people's travel behaviour towards more sustainable travel options and practices these are collectively called either Smart Measures or Smarter Choices.
What are Smart Measures?
Smart Measures are instruments which provide the infrastructure and promote the benefits of more active and sustainable travel. They are a suite of steps to encourage more sustainable and active forms of travel like walking and cycling as well as making more efficient and effective use of cars by trying to reduce single occupancy vehicles.
Key elements of Smart Measures are Travel Plans, which provide organisations with a framework to engage with all people visiting its sites, typically staff and visitors but will include patients and students where applicable. Other measures include:-
Smart Measures aim to reduce the social, economic and environmental costs associated with the commute to work, as well as business related trips. They are therefore cross-cutting and support a number of other Scottish Government objectives including Wealthier and Fairer Scotland,Healthier Scotland and Greener Scotland.
Why encourage Smarter Measures?
Recent studies suggest that the rolling out of Smart Measures in the UK could reduce national traffic volumes by seven per cent. This would provide an estimated saving of 0.7 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) in Scotland in 2020, equivalent to four billion car kilometres, or 13 return trips to the sun!
What is the government doing?
Support and guidance on a range of Smart Measures, and Travel Plans are specifically available on www.chooseanother.com including guidance. Specialist support in developing a Travel Plan and Green Fleet Reviews is available from the Energy Saving Trust.
The Scottish Government's GoGreener campaign, launched in Autumn 2008, and the Energy Saving Trust's Eco-Driving campaign, launched in January 2009, both play a part in helping encourage people to become greener and adopt more sustainable behaviours.
The Regional Transport Partnerships continue to working with Scottish Local Authorities and Health Boards and other regional partners to promote and implement Smart Measures. This work includes the deliver of the following regional car sharing schemes:-
South West Scotland »
South East Scotland »
Tayside and Central Scotland »
North East Scotland »
Highlands & Islands »
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change has written to the Chief Executives of public sector organisations encouraging them to promote and use more sustainable travel practices for the commute to work as well as business trips. The Government's Travel Plan was published in December 2007.
Energy Saving Trust in Scotland is promoting techniques and styles of driving that can drive down costs and deliver saving emissions especially greenhouse gases. More information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.
The terms and conditions of grants can be found in the Grants and Budgets section.
Where do I get more help?
As individuals, advice on more active and sustainable travel choices can be found at Its our future website. The site also provides advice on other environmentally responsible behaviour.
As an organisation, advice and resources to help implement simple measures to encourage and facilitate more sustainable and active travel, as well as a travel plan, can be found at www.chooseanotherway.com.