Delivery, Monitoring and Communications

2025 – 2026 Deliverables

Active Travel

Tier One of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund – The fund increased to £37.5 million in 2025–26 and supports local authorities in delivering smaller‑scale infrastructure interventions. Year-end engagement has been increasing to ensure projects are delivered and to plan ahead for 2026–27 proposals.

Tier Two of the Active Travel Design Fund – £11 million amount of funding was made available for 2025–26. A proposal is in place to increase the funding allocation for 2026–27.

People and Place Programme – Work has continued, with learning shared across all Regional Transport Partnerships. The team is currently assessing proposals for 2026–27, subject to budget and AO processes.

Places for Everyone – This is the programme’s closure year and work continues to transfer projects to the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.

Further information can be found here: Bulletin - November 2025 - Active Travel Transformation | Transport Scotland

Road Safety Policy

National Speed Management Review – The next steps to increase HGV speed limits on single and dual carriageways is subject to the parliamentary process, which includes committee scrutiny and a vote in the Chamber.

20 mph Speed Limit Implementation – Work is ongoing across all local authorities; however, completion levels vary across Scotland.

Distracted Driver Technology – A survey will begin on 9 March, involving two units deployed across Scotland over six months and rotating monthly.

Trunk Road Casualty Reduction Team

20 mph Speed Limits Implemented on the Trunk Road Network – 75 locations across the network have been identified, and the work remains on track to meet the March 2026 deadline.

PRIMES – Phase 2 has concluded for project prime which evaluates behaviour changes. An announcement on PRIMES impact on casualty reduction will be made shortly.

Police Scotland

Road Traffic Diversionary Courses – Steering group continues to meet to introduce these courses in Scotland.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

VR Headsets – Challenges remain regarding the current VR technology, and work is underway to source new headsets. Evaluation is ongoing to assess their effectiveness and identify where the technology is currently in use.

Public Health Scotland

PHS is working with Transport Scotland on onboarding an analyst. The Minute of Agreement is currently being prepared and reviewed by legal teams.

SCOTS

Key points from the recent TARs Group included:

• 20mph Speed Limit Implementation and varying compliance levels.
• Pavement parking.
• Road Safety Improvement Fund usage.

British Horse Society

Henry the Horse – Delivery is progressing which will enable volunteers to take the project into schools, which will begin in March.

Dead Slow – No significant challenges. The 10‑year anniversary campaign launches in March.

Lose the Blinker – Slight delays due to staffing changes, but the project is back on track. The first action day has taken place, and evaluation partners are helping assess impact. 9 further action days are being planned.

Temporary Information Posters – Feedback indicates purchasers prefer buying a single poster rather than all three, and having to rotate them is a drawback.

Cycling Scotland

Preparations are underway for the busiest period of the year as weather improves, with all training courses active.

The Road Safety Framework Fund Project – A draft report on work-related collisions with vulnerable road users has been received and will be shared with colleagues.

HMICS Recommendations Update

Work is ongoing to address the 13 remaining recommendations: 3 have been completed and signed off, 4 are currently awaiting review and sign off within Police Scotland and 1 is awaiting feedback. Aiming to have 8 recommendations completed by March.

Recommendation 3 – currently working alongside partners within the learning, training and development teams to develop a new training package for officers, with trials ongoing in regards to practical training.

Risk Register

Risk Register has been reviewed by all members and current status considered accurate.

STN is planning to do an audit of e-bike / e-scooter injuries throughout emergency departments in Scotland, which will comprise of a question set issued to clinicians. This questionnaire will also help understand if the e-bike/e-scooter was illegal.

Road Safety Funding

IAM RoadSmart Funding

Rider Refinement – There was a joint launch on Monday 16 Feb, with some locations now already fully subscribed and will run from April until September. Robert Gordon University will undertake an evaluation of the project.

Multi-skills Day Event – will take place on 30 April at Knockhill Circuit. The event will consist of training on the circuit, along with emergency first aid and bike maintenance. This will also be evaluated through Robert Gordon University.

Road Safety Improvement Fund

£14.25 million has been allocated to local authorities through the Road Safety Improvement Fund in the 2025/26 budget. The fund aims to reduce road-related risk and casualties on the local road network. Local authorities are delivering a wide range of road safety schemes and are on track for full delivery and drawdown before the end of the financial year. The schemes will also be evaluated at 1 and 3 years after installation.

Road Safety Framework Fund 2026/27

TS has undertaken a review of the Road Safety Framework Fund, with consisted of reviewing the criteria of the fund, the evidence and appraisal requirements, and considered learnings from previous RSFF rounds.

Notable adjustments are:

• Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate alignment with the Framework and Safe System.
• Cleary state which user group or mode the project addresses and how this contributes directly to casualty reduction.
• Removal of the 50% match funding requirement.
• Projects with positive evaluations and impacts will be able to seek funding for more than one year. Continued support is not automatic, a new application must be submitted annually.

The aim is for the application window to open early March for 2 months.

Comms Handling Plan

Announcements delivered since last OPG meeting:

• £25m investment in renewing VMS signage on the trunk road network.
• Publication of NSMR findings and next steps.
• Launch of “Roads Don’t Reset” young drivers campaign.
• Relaunch of the driver distraction campaign.
• Promotion of the IAM Rider Refinement event at Knockhill.

Upcoming announcements – aiming to be completed before pre-election period on March 26:

• Road Safety Scotland annual seminar on March 11^th.
• Round up of RSIF fund work from this year’s allocation - TBC.
• Update on the next stage of Project PRIMEs – TBC.