Foreword
Two years since the publication of our National Transport Strategy (NTS2) and our first NTS2 Delivery Plan, we continue to make progress across the Scottish Government in delivering on our vision and strategic priorities. Our Plan – which embeds the Sustainable Transport Hierarchy – continues to guide our decision making and investment priorities.
Across the country young people can now access free public transport via the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme and we are supporting individuals and business in making healthier and more sustainable travel choices. We are tackling head-on the role of transport within the climate emergency whilst recognising the vital role transport continues to play within our day-to-day lives – ensuring we are able to access education, work, training and social activities. With many households and businesses facing significant increases to the cost of living, we recognise that transport expenditure poses another - often unavoidable – expense. Our aim is to ensure access to affordable, accessible and sustainable transport across the country. We know that the challenges ahead are significant, and that reducing private car use and transitioning to more walking, wheeling or cycling for day-to-day journeys will pose greater challenges for some.
However, our actions aim to seize on the opportunities offered as we journey to net-zero and support the necessary changes to provide for safer, healthier and more enjoyable streets, businesses, neighbourhoods and journeys. The delivery of the NTS2 remains a collective endeavour, and we work in tandem with the NTS2 Delivery Board and with wide engagement and support from businesses, individuals, representative groups and other stakeholders.
Our strategy is clear that catering to forecast unconstrained road traffic growth is simply not sustainable – so we continue to focus on investment in public transport and supporting active travel. We also know that it is crucial for new and emerging technology to be used to its full potential to boost physical and digital connectivity, in turn supporting living well locally and reducing private car use.
Across Government, work is taking place on policy which will enable more joined up planning to help build more sustainable communities. We are taking a robust approach to Road Safety with a long term vision that there will be zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 2050; and we are working to finalise the investments for transport for 2022-2042 through the STPR2 Delivery Plan, due to publish later this year, which will support this work.
This Scottish Government NTS2 Delivery Plan is accompanied by our first Monitoring and Evaluation Report, providing a comprehensive outline in to ‘where we are’ two years on since the publication of the Strategy, alongside context for the findings. We will continue to monitor and report on the progress as we work towards achieving the aims.
Our aim is to continue to work across the country to build and grow a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping to deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.