Chamber and committees

There is a known and growing gap when it comes to active travel modes to travel to school between primary and secondary school pupils in Scotland. Sustrans’ Hands Up Scotland Survey, that looks at how pupils travel to school and nursery, shows that in the past 15 years walking and cycling to school are declining when it comes to secondary school pupils, with cycling to school only accounting for around 1% of the total trips and skating/scooting stagnating at around 0.1%.

Whilst walking levels are also declining for primary school children, it is still at a higher level than for secondary school pupils, and cycling and skating/scooting has been increasing with much higher levels than for secondary school pupils (cycling stands at 5-6% of all trips for primary school age pupils).

Since 2021, Cycling Scotland have conducted a cross sectional evaluation of Bikeability Scotland. This evaluation shows that Bikeability Level 2 training has a positive impact on cycling behaviours, knowledge and skills, and that pupils who receive Bikeability training in primary school have higher rates of bike ownership and cycling frequency in Secondary school compared with those who did not receive training.

In 2019, Road Safety Scotland (RSS) partnered with Police Scotland and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) to develop a campaign targeting foreign drivers/those not familiar with driving on the left. Leaflets, wristbands, and windscreen stickers were provided to car rental companies to distribute to foreign drivers hiring vehicles at airports across Scotland.

In 2023, following Covid, the campaign was revived and further developed, and launched by the Minister for Transport. In addition to the BVRLA route, campaign resources were also made available in Visit Scotland iCentres, airports, ferry ports, and supported by variable message signs on appropriate routes. The wristbands say 'drive on the left' in nine languages, and RSS has also produced reservoir gaiters saying 'ride on the left' in eight languages for use by motorcyclists.

Furthermore, a short, animated video was produced for companies to send to drivers in advance of picking up their vehicles providing information on the use of single track roads and passing places. More information on the campaign can be found here: Driving on the left - Road Safety Scotland

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27063 on 7 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government has not committed to managing aviation demand through Air Departure Tax and therefore no analysis or assessment has been undertaken.

The Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes aim to make sustainable travel more available, affordable and accessible to those aged 60 and above, aged under 22 and eligible disabled people.

As set out in our report on proposals and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions following annual target for 2019 not being met ( www.gov.scot ) , published in 2021, the Scottish Government committed to building upon our commitment in the updated Climate Change Plan to extend National Concessionary Travel Schemes to include under 22s as part of our additional policies and proposals to deliver the amount of emissions reduction required. However, it does not apportion emissions reduction to any single additional policy.

Scottish Government funding for active travel projects is not allocated based on STPR2 recommendation delivered. We fund a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 4 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to connect towns by active travel. This includes funding for the National Cycle Network programme, investment in active travel infrastructure on the trunk road network, and funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.

The current financial year marks a very significant change in our delivery model for active travel behaviour change initiatives, being the first year the Scottish Government has allocated grant funding for this purpose across all seven Region Transport Partnerships (RTPs) under the umbrella of a new Active Travel People and Place programme.

The grounds for the creation of this programme are the increased scale and pace of the government’s ambition in active travel, which has already brought wholesale reform of the delivery model for active travel infrastructure through the creation of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) working primarily with Local Authorities through a new tiered system.

Similarly, the previous active travel behaviour change delivery model whereby Transport Scotland continued to centrally grant fund several national third sector partners across 30+ projects and programmes also needed to be reformed to deliver at scale.

For 2024-25 we therefore developed a new regional approach whereby this funding has instead been invested in RTPs, who in turn have designed programmes of active travel behaviour change initiatives which are more responsive to local circumstances and suit their needs. This is a more streamlined, scalable, and strategic model, with strong alignment to wider Scottish Government priorities and ways of working. This includes delivering on STPR2 Recommendation 6 that we build on existing behavioural change initiatives, and the Verity House Agreement principle that public responsibilities should be exercised by authorities closest to the citizen, with presumptions in favour of local flexibility.

STPR2 recommends that these initiatives are likely to be most effective if they raise awareness of new infrastructure and services. In taking a behaviour change approach we want to ensure that interventions tackle the individual, social, and material (ISM) factors that influence people’s travel choices. We have therefore developed four ‘themes’ that sit across the Active Travel People and Place programme that address long-term social trends, target our largest trip generators, help secure a Just Transition, and systemically strengthen delivery, as well as providing structure for our overarching monitoring and evaluation framework. These themes are: Schools and Young People, Workplaces, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Capacity and Capability Building.

We recognise that these programmes of behaviour change initiatives, some directly linked to infrastructure development, do require an appropriate blend of capital and revenue funding. Of overall spend across our legacy behaviour change / access to bikes programmes in 2023-24, capital accounted for 82%, and revenue 18% of funding. Of spend on the RTP Active Travel People and Place programmes in 2024-25, capital accounts for 63% (£12m), and revenue 37% (£7m) of funding. This has been achieved in the context of a particularly challenging budget and resource spending review, which has required, and will continue to require, difficult decisions to be taken across government.

As outlined in the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, achieving this commitment relies on a package of over 30 interventions.

The route map does not apportion a specific reduction in car kilometres, nor in CO2-equivalent emissions, to any single intervention such as the extension of the concessionary travel scheme, which is one of a number of route map interventions which aim to encourage the use of public transport and reduce car use.

ScotRail, in public ownership, regularly monitors passenger numbers which enables it to deliver services which respond to the needs of people of Scotland.

Since ScotRail moved into public sector, we have added over 200 additional services each weekday, offering seven per cent more seats. Passenger numbers have increased by 75% from 46.7 million in 2021-22 to around 82 million in 2023-24.

In respect of STPR2, Transport Scotland’s programme of works continues to be reviewed against priorities in the context of available funding. This ensures Transport Scotland can deliver the right projects at the right time as we seek to progress our rolling programme of decarbonisation, whilst also delivering rail passenger and freight services that meet user expectations.

Programmes of routine maintenance on all trunk roads are developed based on need and are delivered on a prioritised based within the limits of available funding. On occasion other programmes of work, for example road safety, may recommend works that upgrade trunk road signage and road markings.

A number of schemes have been completed on the recently through this budget as part of a package of short term works to improve safety prior to the dualling of the remainder of the A9. Cyclic maintenance is also carried out across trunk roads. This work including grass cutting at junctions to keep visibility splays clear and bollard cleaning to maintain their reflectivity.

The following list highlights a diverse range of schemes currently being prepared for the A9:

• A9 Pitlochry Hospital signs – sign renewal in advance of the southbound off slip and the northbound off slip to Pitlochry. This work is provisionally programmed between 29-04-24 and 03-05-24.
• A9 Inshes countdown signs – replacement of countdown marker signs in advance of the Inshes junction (northbound off slip). This work is provisionally programmed between 27-05-24 and 31-05-24.
• A9 South of Bogbain junction ditching. This drainage work is provisionally programmed between 08-07-24 and 12-07-24.

Additional routine maintenance schemes may be developed and delivered this financial year. This will depend on feedback from weekly inspections and perceived need.