Transport funding could be diverted from other modes to make bus services more attractive as part of a re-balancing of transport priorities in Scotland.
The proposal was floated last week in a consultation paper which also signals ministers’ willingness to ring-fence funding for road maintenance. Otherwise, Scotland’s new national transport strategy looks set to mirror that south of the border, as traffic-reduction targets are jettisoned and demand-management measures are piloted ahead of any commitment to UK-wide road-user charging.
Buses are the dominant form of public transport, with 465M local journeys in 2004/05, and ‘there is scope to expand the bus network relatively cheaply and easily,’ the paper notes. Increasing revenue support would reduce fares and encourage bus use, leading to environmental, congestion and social inclusion benefits. Over time, spending could shift from investment in road and rail network expansion, although these assets would need to be maintained.
As London showed, subsidy per passenger would have to rise, but the Scottish Executive is also open to emulating aspects of the capital’s franchising model, as well as revisiting the rules on bus quality partnerships and contracts. ‘Punctuality improvement partnerships’ and area-based quality networks are other options. Councils could be required to set targets for improving bus services as measured by their average speeds compared with cars, and passenger numbers – delivering them by being more proactive in tackling bottlenecks and priority measures. Bus priority is among the ‘innovative ways of improving demand management’ proposed for trunk roads. Special lanes for car sharers or trucks, ramp metering and park-and-ride sites are also suggested.
A Scottish version of England’s transport innovation fund is mooted, together with a shift from the executive’s neutral stance on local road-charging schemes to active policy support. Accessibility planning could become compulsory, while public bodies – if not all ‘larger employers’ – could be required to prepare travel plans. The aim of stabilising traffic at 2001 levels by 2021 is going to be ‘missed by a very significant margin’. The executive is not keen to set regional traffic-reduction targets or ‘interim milestones’, preferring a target for transport-related CO2 emissions and/or a congestion indicator. The national target to quadruple cycling will be replaced by local targets. The 20-year strategy, which will provide a framework for the new regional transport partnerships, as well as existing local strategies, will be launched later this year. ~TRANSform Scotland~ director, ~Colin Howden~ attacked Scottish transport minister, Tavish Scott, for lack of action on traffic growth while ‘subsidising car use by ploughing millions into new road-building’.
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