Transport worth £10 billion to Scotland’s economy

Senior leaders from across the sector have come together to discuss the true economic value of transport to Scotland.

The event in Glasgow follows the publication of Connecting Scotland - the Value of Transport, which finds that transport is an “absolute necessity” in terms of underpinning various sectors, and a lifeline to many.

The report confirms that the transport sector supports over 150,000 FTE jobs in Scotland and £10 billion Gross Value Added (GVA). This represents between 6-7% of the total workforce and Scottish GVA.

It also illustrates that transport plays a pivotal and decisive role in the economy: facilitating people getting to work, goods being distributed and delivered – including all goods exports – and heavily supporting sectors such as tourism and renewables.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:

“I’m delighted to have hosted the Scottish Transport Summit to celebrate the impact transport has on all of our lives and discuss how it can add even more value to our country.

“Transport has a transformative impact on people’s lives. It gets goods to market, people to their jobs, connects communities, and reliable public transport offers people an alternative to the car. It is clear that transport is a foundation of society and our economy.

“The transport sector supports over £10 billion in terms of Scotland’s Gross Value Added and around 150,000 full time jobs – so transport certainly pulls its weight, and I believe we can do even more.

“Investing in transport is investing in people. The wider impacts transport has on a number of factors – physical health, mental health, wellbeing, access to healthcare, education, jobs – is proof of that.

“You only need to look at what free bus travel for under 22s, magnificent new infrastructure like the Borders and Levenmouth Railway, and the Queensferry Crossing and Aberdeen Bypass (AWPR) has done for the economy to see that.

“Scotland’s Low Emission Zones are protecting public health. We’ve delivered over 6000 public charge points for electric vehicles two years early. We’ve taken decisive action on road safety including the National Speed Management Review and six new ferries on order.

“We have around 500 miles of new or improved walking or cycling paths compared to 2010. We have supported the acquisition of 800 zero emission buses – attracting in vital private sector investment. Over 75% of rail passenger journeys in Scotland are now electrified.

“ScotRail has been brought into public ownership. Six new stations have opened up across Scotland since 2020. We achieved all of this while keeping Scotland moving through our public transport system and road network – and while demonstrating resilience to an unprecedented number of high impact named storms.

“For the first time, the Scottish Government is investing over £4 billion in 2025-26 to support our transport network. I thank everyone who attended the Scottish Transport Summit to discuss how we continue to work together - across sectors, across regions, and across communities - to build a transport system that truly serves the people of Scotland.”