Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are working in partnership with Sustrans, Argyll and Bute and Highland Councils, and other stakeholders to deliver the route from Campbeltown to Inverness, including signing and mapping. So far, Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have investment of over £5.5 million (from Campbeltown to Ballachulish) in the route.

Sustrans estimates that the Oban to Inverness section of this route could be completed by 2014-15, subject to available funding. The Great Glen section is now being progressed as a combination of off-road routes and quiet rural roads as an alternative to the A82.

The recent capital allocation of over £22 million to Sustrans over the next three years will greatly assist the completion of this iconic route.

The Scottish Government Court Proceedings database does not contain data on persons proceeded against for accidents involving bicycles.

A person prosecuted for an accident involving a bicycle would generally be prosecuted for a dangerous or careless driving offence and the details on the database would not indicate what vehicles were involved in the incident.

The Scottish Government has no direct requirement to provide training relevant to cycle safety. However, The Road Traffic Act 1988, Chapter 52, Section 39 states that:

“Each local authority must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, the giving of practical training to road users, or any class or description of road users and other measures taken in the exercise of their powers for controlling, protecting or assisting the movement of traffic on roads, and in constructing new roads, must take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to reduce the possibilities of such accidents when the roads come into use.”

The Road Safety Framework recognises that cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users and we have made a number of commitments within the framework document which we will undertake, with our partners, to support the interests of cyclists. These include ensuring that all road users receive appropriate education and training messages about cycling in the road environment. Last September, I allocated an additional £1 million for cycling projects including the new Bikeability Scotland cycle training package and an educational campaign to raise awareness among drivers of cyclists on the road, especially during the school run periods when more children are cycling. The campaign called Give Me Cycle Space is run by Cycling Scotland in partnership with local authorities and schools, and in 2012, this will be extended to 13 local authorities and at least 144 schools.

Road Safety Scotland run safety campaigns aimed at all road users. The organisation provides advice and guidance for drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders, as well as teaching notes and class activities for educational professionals.

http://www.road-safety.org.uk/driving

http://www.road-safety.org.uk/cycling

http://www.road-safety.org.uk/motorcycling

http://www.road-safety.org.uk/walking

http://www.road-safety.org.uk/horse-riding.

Action 12 in the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland relates to research around hierarchies of care for road users (“to undertake a legislative search to reveal the operation of liability laws and how they work in other countries in Europe and around the world, and whether there is robust evidence of a direct link to levels of cycling and KSIs [killed and seriously injured]”). Transport Scotland is conducting an internal review of relevant legal arrangements in a number of countries.

Professional HGV drivers have to comply with the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), which was introduced across the European Union to maintain high driving standards and improve road safety. New HGV drivers need to pass the Driver CPC theory and practical tests in addition to the licence acquisition theory and practical tests. Once they have passed these tests, they also need to complete periodic training to keep their Driver CPC qualification. This training includes awareness of hazards and other road users. Licence acquisition and the Driver CPC are reserved matters.

The Scottish Government recognised that there was a lack of training in Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED-HGV). We provided pump-prime funding to establish a network of SAFED-HGV trainers and demonstrate the benefits of the training. Since April 2007, this training network has operated on a wholly commercial basis. Additionally the Scottish Government has produced material to promote the adoption of best practice by the freight industry, including several guides covering aspects of driving.

The freight trade associations have also worked in partnership with others to increase awareness of the risks associated with sharing the road with large vehicles. For example, the Freight Transport Association has produced a Cycling Code which provides advice for three groups - cyclists, HGV drivers/operators and employers. They have also been willing to cooperate in local initiatives, for example by allowing cyclists to sit in an HGV cab to gain a greater awareness of HGV blind spots.

Scottish Schools have no obligation to provide cycle training. However, The Road Traffic Act 1988, Chapter 52, Section 39 states that:

“Each local authority must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, the giving of practical training to road users, or any class or description of road users and other measures taken in the exercise of their powers for controlling, protecting or assisting the movement of traffic on roads, and in constructing new roads, must take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to reduce the possibilities of such accidents when the roads come into use.”

Through Scottish Government funding to Cycling Scotland, 68.5% of children receive some form of cycle training. At Level 2, this training is delivered to 68.5% of the 55,000 pupil cohort in P6 and P7, with 31.5% of children receive on-road training.

Currently, Cycling Scotland has no robust data for the percentage delivery at Bikeability Scotland Levels 1 and 3. This is because the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland’s No1 Action is to focus on more on-road training which will provide the right skills for independent travel acquired in the right environment. Encouragingly, requests for Levels 1 and 3 resources would indicate that there is multi-level training delivery in all 32 local authority areas.

The Scottish Government, Sustrans and South Lanarkshire Council are jointly funding the creation of a £1.5 million off-road cycle path between Larkhall and Hamilton, due for completion by March 2013. The Uddingston to Hamilton section is completed. The Scottish Government has invested around £750,000 in this route. The Larkhall to Douglas feasibility study will go ahead in due course once the route to Larkhall is completed. The recently allocated capital funding to Sustrans will allow the progression of the Larkhall to Douglas section with match funding provided by the local authority and Sustrans through the Connect2 project funding from The People’s Lottery.

Legislatively, driver training is a reserved matter. Aside from the relevant driver's licence bus drivers have to have a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Driver CPC is designed to improve road safety; help the environment by reducing emissions and fuel use; provide greater professionalism and better career development for drivers, and help the road transport industry to recruit and retain staff and enjoy a better public image. Within that context, driver training is a matter for individual operators and will reflect their operating environments. The Scottish Government has no direct involvement but would encourage all bus companies to be vigilant of vulnerable road users.

Good practice does exist. For example, in Edinburgh, Lothian Buses work in partnership with SPOKES and The Bike Station to promote safe cycling and driver awareness of cyclists on the roads.

The Scottish Government is supporting a number of projects across Scotland to make the road network more cycle-friendly and Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2010, published in October 2011, shows that we are making progress in reducing the number of cyclist casualties in Scotland, with a fall of 12% between 2000 and 2010.

The Road Safety Framework recognises that cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users and contains various relevant commitments. Examples relate to education and training, improved signage, consideration of cycling in the context of roads maintenance and design, and the use of 20mph zones in all residential areas.

We are also providing significant funding. On 8 February, John Swinney announced an additional £20.25 million for active travel projects, focussing on cycling and walking infrastructure, over the next three financial years. This is in addition to the £15 million for wider Sustainable and Active Travel initiatives announced as part of the Draft Budget last September.

In addition, we have already allocated £44 million to local authorities for Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects; and we are supporting initiatives such as the Bikeability Scotland cycle training package; the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) 20 mph pilot in South Central Edinburgh; a Sustrans feasibility study into an innovative pilot project in Glasgow called Flashing Amber, which will allow cyclists to be given priority at traffic lights; various Sustrans’ safe routes to schools and Street Design projects, and the provision of safe cycle routes through the National Cycle Network (as with the Oban - Fort William trunk roads cycling scheme).

In terms of promoting best practice, Transport Scotland published a new version of Cycling by Design in 2010 for use by practitioners throughout Scotland. It plans to hold a series of seminars for local authorities and others developing cycling infrastructure in Scotland.

Transport Scotland will be setting up a sub-group of the Road Safety Operational Partnership Group to consider cycling safety and share best practice across the country, and will be monitoring progress more generally in the context of the 2010 Cycling Action Plan for Scotland.

None. However, in January 2012, an EU requirement came into force that requires member states to verify the engine power of fishing vessels. Marine Scotland will commence verification this summer.