Foreword

From Minister for Transport and Veterans

Photo of Keith Brown Minister for Transport and Veterans

Transport underpins how Scotland works and performs. It supports our businesses, communities and services for our towns, cities and rural communities, and connects our people across Scotland and beyond. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Government's focus on increasing sustainable economic growth.

This Corporate Plan sets out the role Transport Scotland will play over the next three years as a Government agency in helping to deliver increased sustainable economic growth, set in the context of the Government Economic Strategy's (GES) six strategic priorities which are critical to economic growth. I look to Transport Scotland to continue its efforts to deliver these priorities, providing a single integrated focus for developing national transport projects and policies, and the low carbon economy.

The Scottish Government is ambitious for Scotland's future, and the Plan is also set in the context of the longer-term ambitions we have for transport. This shows the part we can play in the next three years towards a longer-term vision, in connecting our great cities and communities for the 21st century, and for connecting all communities across the country. The Plan offers Infrastructure Development and shows the importance of Place and Equity as envisaged in the GES.

The priorities are set to ensure that investment will continue to focus on making connections across Scotland and improving reliability and journey times, in order to maximise the opportunities for employment, business, leisure and tourism. This can be done through working towards providing sustainable, integrated and cost-efficient public transport alternatives to the car, connecting people, places and work across Scotland, according greater priority to achieving more balanced growth to give all across Scotland the chance to succeed.

Transport Scotland provides a focused approach in this Plan with policies and initiatives to unlock improvements in the quality of life for the people of Scotland. This aligns well with the Scottish Government's Purpose through the programme of £5.4 billion investment in transport infrastructure and services allocated during the three-year period.

Transport Scotland has attracted a justified reputation, continued in its expanded form since 2010, for delivering what it sets out to achieve on projects and policies on behalf of Scottish Ministers, and we look forward to working with the Agency in taking forward the shared ambition to deliver the policies and projects set out in this Plan.

Keith Brown
Minister for Transport and Veterans
June 2012