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 our strategic direction for the three years and our four Delivery Priorities over that period:

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 2009/10 towards achieving each of these Priorities and also our underpinning strive for excellence in all that we do.

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 closely with the Transport Directorate of the Scottish Government which is responsible for a complementary range of policy and delivery functions including freight, ferries, air services and buses.

As the lead national body for transport we will continue to work closely with all Scottish local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships to deliver integrated transport solutions which support the local and national outcomes set out in Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs). We will also continue to work collaboratively with a wide range of partners within the transport industry and with bodies from Community Councils to national agencies such as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage, to ensure that the best solutions are delivered.

RESOURCES

STAFF

We have around 350 staff working in six Directorates: Finance; Major Transport Infrastructure Projects; Rail Delivery; Strategy & Investment; Trunk Roads: Network Management; and Business Improvement & Corporate Services. Our staff have the necessary administrative, specialist and technical skills needed to deliver our priorities.

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.

Finance

The Scottish Budget Spending Review 2007 provides detail of how our 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.

Scottish Government Transport Spending¹

	2009/10 Budget £m
Transport Scotland	2229.1
Transport Directorate	273.3
Total	2502.4

The above table shows that for the 2009/10 year we are responsible for programme funding of £2,229 million which is provided for the following purposes:

Transport Scotland Detailed Spending

	2009/10 Budget £m	What the budget does
Rail Services in Scotland	672.9	Pays for the delivery and enhancement of the ScotRail franchise and required rail infrastructure from Network Rail
Concessionary Fares	189.5	Pays for the delivery of Scotland-wide free and discounted travel schemes for older, disabled and young people
Major Public Transport Projects	262.9	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 meeting our funding commitment to the City of Edinburgh Council’s tram project
Motorways and Trunk Roads	486.1	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 the delivery of routine, cyclical and winter maintenance and will reduce pollution and improve air quality by removing traffic congestion through more efficient traffic movement schemes. It will also allow progress on 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	595.5	Cost of capital charge from our ownership of the motorways and trunk road network (valued at £14.1 billion at 31 March 2008), calculated as 3.5% of the book value of the network
Other Transport Scotland Programmes	22.2	Funds the running costs of Transport Scotland, the provision of internet based travel information services such as Traveline and Transport Direct and funds the Strategic Transport Projects Review
Total	2229.1

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.