2. INTRODUCTION

Transport Scotland seeks to deliver an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system in order to help the Government create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

To achieve this our Corporate Plan 2008-2011 sets out four Delivery Priorities:

Improved connections across Scotland
Better journey times, better reliability
Greener transport alternatives, reduced emissions
Increased safety, more innovation

This Business Plan sets out what we will do during 2008/09 towards achieving these Priorities.

Transport Scotland is accountable to the public through Scottish Ministers, with our Chief Executive reporting directly to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change. We work in tandem with the Transport Directorate of the Scottish Government who are responsible for a complementary range of policy and delivery functions including freight, ferries, air services and buses. Our staff have the specialist and technical skills needed to deliver the national transport projects and services within our remit.

Transport Scotland operates on the basis of five working principles, which are to:

Strive to become a centre of excellence in transport delivery, both nationally and internationally
Promote transport integration
Maintain a clear outward focus on the needs of transport users
Work in partnership with other transport providers and wider government in our planning and delivery
Make the most efficient use of public resources and equip our staff to do the best possible job

OVERALL RESOURCES

We have around 350 staff working in five Directorates: Finance and Corporate Services; Major Transport Infrastructure Projects; Rail Delivery; Strategy and Investment; and Trunk Roads Network Management. Our largest skills base is technical expertise in rail and road, with essential support skills including finance, procurement, capital programme management, communications, information technology and professional public policy skills.

The Scottish Budget Spending Review 2007 provides details of how the Government’s spending plans over the next three years will help deliver sustainable economic growth. Transport spending lies within the Government’s Finance and Sustainable Growth portfolio, split between Transport Scotland and Transport Directorate. Transport Directorate provides funding to support lifeline air and ferry services; Highlands and Islands Airports; Forth and Tay Bridge maintenance; support for the freight industry; grants to British Waterways; support for sustainable and active travel; and support through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) for bus services.

Scottish Government Transport Spending¹

	2008/09 Budget £m
Transport Scotland	1987.2
Transport Directorate	267.4
Total	2254.6

The above table shows that for the 2008/09 year we are responsible for programme funding of £1,987 million which is provided for the following purposes:

Transport Scotland Detailed Spending

	2008/09 Budget £m	What the budget does
Rail Services in Scotland	689.2	Pays for the delivery and enhancement of the ScotRail franchise and required rail infrastructure from Network Rail
Concessionary Fares	187.5	Pays for the delivery of Scotland-wide free and discounted travel schemes for older, disabled and young people
Major Public Transport Projects	157.7	Provides funding to proceed with the delivery of major rail public transport projects such as Edinburgh to Glasgow improvements, Airdrie to Bathgate, Borders Railway and Glasgow Airport Rail Link as well as contributing up to £500 million to the City of Edinburgh Council’s tram project
Motorways and Trunk Roads	383.1	Allows further progress to be made on the maintenance of our trunk roads and delivers improvements to safety and traffic flows. Secures value for money in routine, cyclical and winter maintenance and will reduce pollution and improve air quality by removing traffic congestion through more efficient traffic management schemes. It will also allow completion of the Central Scotland Motorway Network, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and improvement schemes on many of our busiest and most congested roads across Scotland
Roads’ Cost of Capital Charge	546.5	Cost of capital charge from our ownership of the motorways and trunk road network (valued at £14.1 billion)², calculated as 3.5% of the book value of the network
Other Transport Scotland Programmes	23.2	Funds the running costs of Transport Scotland, the provision of internet-based travel information services such as Traveline and Transport Direct, and the Strategic Transport Projects Review
Total	1987.2