Transport and Travel in Scotland 2014

Overview of travel trends in Scotland

This bulletin provides the results of the Transport and Travel related questions asked in the Scottish Household Survey (including the travel diary) and uses data from a range of sources to provide context. The survey and travel diary had around 9,800 respondents in 2014.

This publication is split into 4 broad themes:

  • Personal travel
  • Motor vehicles, traffic and driving
  • Public transport, ferries and aviation
  • Walking and cycling

This bulletin provides updates to two National Indicators, which form part of the Scotland Performs national framework - congestion, which shows performance worsening, and public and active travel to work, which shows performance maintaining.

Rail and air passenger numbers and distance cycled is estimated to have increased between 2009 and 2014, and ferry passenger number have increased slightly in the last year. Bus and ferry passenger numbers were lower in 2014 than five years ago and car traffic was at a similar level.

Traffic and passenger numbers in Scotland, 2009 to 2014

2009

2013

2014

% change
over 1
year

% change
over 5
years

Car traffic (m/veh km) on all roads &

34,392

33,811

34,399

1.7%

0.0%

Pedal cycles (m/veh km) on all roads &

287

329

339

3.0%

18.1%

ScotRail passengers (millions)$

76.9

86.3

92.7

7.3%

20.5%

Bus passengers (millions)$

459

425

420*

-1.2%

-8.5%

Air passengers (millions)

22.50

23.25

24.08

3.6%

7.0%

Ferry passengers in Scotland (millions)#

8.27

7.83

7.88

0.7%

-4.7%

Sources: DfT, ORR, CAA, ferry operators (Not all National Statistics)
Notes: $ Based on financial year, *provisional figures, # Does not include figures for passenger numbers on the Corran ferry service,
& traffic estimates indicate the broad level of traffic, so year-on-year comparisons should be made with caution as they are estimated based on a small cross-section of Scottish roads, particularly for cycle traffic.