Risk Management
This section provides the following information:
- How Transport Scotland continuously manages risks by identifying, analysing, and addressing potential threats to safety and service
- Mitigation of key risks through Transport Scotland’s well-established maintenance and operational activities
Risk management is relevant to all parts of our business. Our Corporate Risk Management Strategy aligns with ISO: 31000 (2018) guidelines and provides a framework for consistent and joined-up risk management that is used across all Transport Scotland Directorates. It incorporates a process which applies to our asset management activities and all aspects of our delivery. Figure 3-1 illustrates the risk management process, showing the steps from defining scope and criteria through risk identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment, and then the recording and reporting of risks.
The application of this process means that we manage risk continuously by identifying, analysing, and addressing potential risks that could impact safety or the services we provide. We also monitor and review risks through performance reviews and independent audits (for example, those undertaken by the Performance Audit Group as detailed in ‘Performance Audit Group’) to assure our ongoing risk management competence. This structured approach provides consistent and effective risk management across our supply chain and all our operational and maintenance activities.
AMPS Note: AMPS helps manage risks by making inspection and survey data accessible and providing information about asset performance and service delivery. This data helps us evaluate risks, plan actions to mitigate them and assess the effectiveness of our actions.
Key Risks to be Addressed
Outlined below are our most significant risks and the proactive mitigations in place to safeguard our assets, the network, and our customers. Ensuring these risks are within tolerable levels underpins our asset management decision-making.
Our Key Risks
Safety
If incidents occur on the network, then there is potential for harm, resulting in injury or fatalities and increased focus on safety measures.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
The Scottish Government published Scotland's Road Safety Framework in 2021, which includes an ambitious goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.
We implement this through our ‘Safe Systems’ approach which is described in Section 1: ‘Our Organisation’ and supported by a range of actions to maintain our assets, described within this RAMP.
Condition and Ageing Infrastructure
If the condition of our ageing network deteriorates more rapidly than expected, this could result in greater investment need, increased maintenance to keep the network safe, reliable and capable of meeting customer expectations.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
Through our maintenance contracts, we deliver routine asset condition inspections, surveys, and tests to understand maintenance requirements. Using this asset knowledge, we work with our Operating Companies to develop and prioritise our maintenance activities to reduce the impact of ageing infrastructure.
Section 4: ‘Maintenance’ contains details on asset condition and our activities to maintain it.
Budget
If funding is constrained, then planned maintenance may decrease and reliance on reactive or emergency works may increase, resulting in potential impacts on network availability, long-term asset condition and overall costs.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
Given our constrained funding, we prioritise maintenance programmes based on criteria such as safety, reliability, sustainability, and value for money, as highlighted in Section 4.6: ‘Scheme Prioritisation’. This allows us to maximise the life of our assets as far as possible within a constrained budget.
Investment analysis allows us to articulate the budgets we require to deliver a safe, reliable network. Further details on investment scenarios can be found in Section 5.4: ‘Investment Scenarios’.
Data
If accurate and timely data is not available, then decision-making may be compromised, resulting in reduced ability to deliver optimal value and outcomes for customers.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
We have developed and implemented an asset management software system (AMPS) which:
- Provides a single source of truth for data and information
- Improves access, sharing, and auditability of high-quality data
- Introduces enhanced analytical and reporting capabilities
For further details see Section 6: ‘Data’.
Network Resilience
If severe weather or other unplanned events lead to reduced road availability, then operations may be disrupted, resulting in delays, safety concerns, and lower customer satisfaction.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
Working with our Operating Companies to deliver proactive planning activities and implement mitigation measures to make the network safe, reliable, and resilient to unforeseen disruption.
These activities are described in Section 7: ‘Operating Our Network’.
Traffic Information
If customers cannot access timely and accurate travel information, then they may be unable to make informed journey decisions, resulting in inconvenience, missed connections, and reduced confidence in the network.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
Communicating with our customers forms a large part of how we build resilience into the network. We use a range of different methods of communicating planned events and maintenance activities that could cause disruption, keeping our customers informed and allow them to make better travel decisions.
See Section 7.3: ‘Response and Recovery’ for more information.
Climate Change Resilience
If climate-related factors persist, then asset and network issues may become more frequent, resulting in impacts on journey efficiency, safety, and long-term maintenance planning.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
We established the Vulnerable Locations Group in 2021 which plays a crucial role in mitigating the impacts from climate change. It identifies vulnerable locations on the network, driving our strategic approach to climate change adaptation.
Please refer to Section 8: ‘Environment and Sustainability’ for further details.
Biodiversity
If pollution levels rise and natural habitats are degraded, then biodiversity across the network may decline, resulting in environmental challenges and increased need for mitigation measures.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
We are developing a corporate framework to support Scottish Government targets and enhance biodiversity. Our planned actions include a baseline assessment of the ecosystem across our network, a biodiversity strategy, and biodiversity reporting.
Section 8.4: ‘Improving Biodiversity’ provides further details.
Carbon
If Transport Scotland’s activities continue to generate carbon emissions, then environmental impact may increase, resulting in greater need for carbon reduction strategies.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
We have created a series of Carbon Management Plans, the most recent being the 4th Edition (CMP4) setting out our corporate carbon emission baseline with associated targets and projects to 2027. Several projects have been initiated to reduce, limit or offset our carbon emissions, including projects to encourage active travel. See Section 8.2: ‘Supporting Net Zero’ for more information.
Customer Satisfaction
If technological, economic, or global changes accelerate, then customer expectations may evolve faster than our ability to adapt, resulting in reduced effectiveness in meeting future needs.
How Transport Scotland mitigates the risk
We recognise that the needs and preferences of our customers are varied. We deliver frequent detailed surveys for customers feedback of our service. Our Customer Care Strategyexplains the importance of our customers to everything we do and explains how we will deliver what customers want.
For more information on how we incorporate customer views into our maintenance activities, please see Section 1: ‘Our Organisation’.