ENVIRONMENT and finance

ENVIRONMENT and finance

We have begun the implementation of our Carbon Management System and have collected data on our corporate carbon emissions including business travel, utilities usage and supplier consumption.

Charging of an electric vehicle
Charging of an electric vehicle
(© Crown copyright)

Opening of cycle path from Bridgeton Cross to Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
Opening of cycle path from Bridgeton Cross to Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
(© Devlin Photo)

As part of our Carbon Management Plan, our Green16 team have started various practical projects including office thermal comfort guidance, fuel-efficient driver training, staff training on low carbon behaviours, office lighting alteration, printer rationalisation and a new staff commute to work survey.

Our Pavement Forum has led a collaborative approach with industry to develop innovative methods of pavement construction for the Scottish Trunk Road network. Working together with other roads authorities, research organisations, practitioners and contractors, we have developed the specification for a new quieter, longer life, thin surfacing material called TS 2010.

We work jointly with other agencies and stakeholders to ensure we play our part in the protection and enhancement of the environment. Together with SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and other partners we propose to develop this technical collaboration further during 2012.

Engaging with the wider Scottish Government, we have contributed to the Scottish Advisory and Implementation Forum for Flooding (SAIFF) and flooding consultation.

On Climate Change, we have continued to develop our analysis and partnership working around the transport proposals contained in the Report on Policies and Proposals (RPP). We have also sponsored associated behaviour change and technology initiatives, including various projects to be supported by the new Future Transport Fund. In support of sustainability we have:

  • invested in active travel, notably in national and local cycling infrastructure through partnership work with Sustrans and local authorities across Scotland, and continued to develop educational initiatives with Cycling Scotland, such as the Bikeability Scotland school cycle training programme and the local cyclist-awareness Give Me Cycle Space campaigns
  • grant-funded the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to promote business uptake of 'smarter measures' such as fuel-efficient driving and to pilot a Low Carbon Transport Loan Fund offering interest-free funding for workplace travel plan measures
  • funded Carplus to develop the car club network across Scotland
  • provided further funding of just under £1 million to the communities participating in the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, in order to deepen and broaden the practical initiatives delivered by the programme, particularly through identifying new travel behaviour change initiatives capable of being extended to neighbouring communities
  • invested over £4 million on electric vehicles (EVs) and associated electric charging infrastructure as announced in October 2011 by Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment. This follows a similar investment in 2010/11 and has led to Scotland's public services buying 270 low carbon vehicles; and the installation of over 300 charging points, rising to an anticipated 500 charging points on the network by the end of 2012/13, in homes, workplaces and in publicly accessible locations
  • launched the E-cosse partnership, bringing together Transport Scotland with car manufacturers, power companies, local authorities and WWF Scotland to advance adoption of EVs
  • provided £1.8 million for the second round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund, designed to part-fund the delivery of a further 26 new Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) buses by March 2013 and to stimulate demand for green technology in Scotland

Finance
Provisional Out-turn 2011/12

Final Out-turn Total Provisional Out-turn Total
2010/11 2011/121
£'000 £'000
Administration    
Staff Costs 15,634 13,546
Other Administration Costs 5,427 4,774
Total Administration 21,061 18,320
Programme Costs    
Motorways and Trunk Roads 292,173 273,443
Rail Services in Scotland 674,019 709,252
Concessionary Travel 186,575 188,076
Rail-Major Public Projects 75,363 68,763
Ferry Services in Scotland 105,750 116,681
Air Services in Scotland 32,684 33,807
Bus Services in Scotland 62,932 60,728
Other Transport Programmes 96,573 88,197
Total Programme Costs 1,526,069 1,538,947
Net Operating Costs 1,547,130 1,557,267

 

Our provisional out-turn (unaudited) is within 2% of our budget' a clear indication of the rigorous control we exercise over the projects we deliver and of the priority we give to securing best value from the funds that we control.

1 The full audited accounts will be available when published at www.transportscotland.gov.uk