Ministerial Foreword
I am pleased to present the fifth Delivery Plan for Scotland’s National Transport Strategy. Over the past year, I have been deeply impressed by the dedication of all our partners across the transport sector. Their commitment, especially in the face of financial pressures, has been vital in driving progress toward a transport system that is sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible.
The 2026-27 Scottish Budget sets out tax and spending plans for the year ahead and confirms that the Scottish Government will invest £4.3 billion in transport across Scotland in 2026-27, supporting both the maintenance of our existing infrastructure and the development of new projects.
Transport is a fundamental part of daily life for people of all ages across Scotland. It is essential for wellbeing, enabling social connections, access to leisure and vital services such as healthcare. It underpins nearly every aspect of economic activity, but its impact extends far beyond economics.
It also plays a central role in delivering the First Minister’s key priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and improving public services. These priorities align closely with the priorities of the Strategy: to reduce inequalities, take climate action, enable inclusive economic growth and improve our health and wellbeing.
Transport is vital in reducing inequality and supporting Scotland’s transition to net zero. It connects people with communities and employment opportunities, particularly those who rely on it most. Our commitment to the removal of peak rail fares and the freeze on ticket prices are significant measures that help households retain more of their income while encouraging a shift from car use to more sustainable travel, contributing to climate goals.
Major infrastructure programmes including dualling of the A9, upgrading of our ports and harbours and investment in modernising our ferry fleet play a central role in the delivery of our economic growth. And, to improve our health and wellbeing, we are taking forward active travel infrastructure improvements and implementing a range of road safety measures.
In July 2025, we published our Connecting Scotland – The Value of Transport report, which 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.
The Transport and Travel in Scotland 2024 report published in November 2025 found that, whilst travel patterns have changed, the levels of travel have now returned to where they were immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across Scotland, a wide range of partners and stakeholders — including local authorities, regional transport partnerships, businesses, and individuals — play an important role in delivering the National Transport Strategy. For the first time, this Delivery Plan also highlights some of the work being undertaken by our partners.
The actions set out in this Plan continue to drive forward our vision for a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping to deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.