What are the prospects for sustainable transport in Aberdeen?
02 June 2020
Transform director Colin Howden was happy to join Aberdeen Climate Action’s ‘Climate Cafe’ on Tuesday 2 June to make a presentation on ‘The Future of Public Transport in Scotland’. The presentation is now available. As part of the presentation, figures were presented on European-wide investment in light rail systems, as a proxy for major investment…
Views presented on Economic Recovery priorities
01 June 2020
Transform has published its comments made in response to the Scottish Government’s call for views on its Advisory Group for Economic Recovery. Transform director Colin Howden said: “In our response, we’ve focussed on two key areas: the need for the focus on a ‘Green Recovery’, and the environmental tax reform that will be needed in…
Transport Transition Plan full of good intentions, but nothing concrete on fairness
26 May 2020
Responding to this afternoon’s publication of the Transport Transition Plan, Transform director Colin Howden said: “The Plan is full of good intentions on both fairness and a ‘green recovery’ but, as yet, says nothing concrete on either. “Transport inequalities may have been unavoidable during the initial phase of lockdown, but it’s critical that decisive action…
May Newsletter — Fighting for a Green and Just Recovery
25 May 2020
We are today sharing our May Newsletter. You can read the newsletter in full here. It covers: Our call for a green and just recovery to the Coronavirus pandemic. A series of consultations relating to sustainable transport we would encourage those interested to consider responding to. A summary of our response to Transport Scotland’s call…
Light rail networks key to tackling congestion in Scotland’s major cities
21 May 2020
We have today published our proposal for ‘Light Rail Networks in Scotland’s Major Cities‘ in response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the new National Planning Framework (NPF4). Congestion poses a serious threat to the future of Scotland’s cities and their prospects for growth, and a modern public transport system is an important factor in…
Parliament’s transport committee takes evidence from Government on coronavirus response
13 May 2020
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee is this morning taking evidence from the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson MSP, on the Government’s response to COVID-19. In advance of the session, we submitted the following comments to the committee regarding the Scottish Government’s approach to planning the response…
Rail investment needed to again provide competitive journey times
07 May 2020
We have today published our proposal for a systemic enhancement to the inter-city rail infrastructure north of the Central Belt so that rail can again provide competitive journey times between Scotland’s cities. This call is made as part of Transform’s response to the Scottish Government consultation on the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). Transform Scotland…
Transform Scotland May Newsletter — Director’s Note
07 May 2020
We’ve been hard at work (from home, of course) communicating the changes needed post-lockdown. While there are definitely prospects for a more sustainable future, many of our members are understandably concerned about the financial sustainability of public transport services, and to conditions for walkers and cyclists should the lifting of the lockdown lead to…
Transform Scotland May Newsletter — Campaigns Update
07 May 2020
On 29 April, we published our response to Transport Scotland’s call for views on the Strategic Transport Projects Review ‘case for change’ report. Our full response is available here. The Government’s transport capital spending over the last decade has been grotesquely skewed in favour of new road-building, leading to transport now being the largest source of climate…
Transform Scotland May Newsletter — Members’ Profile
07 May 2020
CoMoUK is a charity that promotes the environmental, economic, health and social benefits of shared transport for the public good. We are partly funded by Transport Scotland to support the development of shared transport modes, with a focus on car clubs and bike share schemes. CoMoUK’s membership in Scotland includes all sizeable bike share schemes,…
RFG and Transform call for a National Low-Carbon Freight Network
05 May 2020
We have today, alongside Rail Freight Group (RFG), published our joint proposal for a ‘National Low-Carbon Freight Network’ in response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the new National Planning Framework (NPF4). Joe O’Donnell, Rail Freight Group’s Head of Policy, said: “Granting our proposed National Low-Carbon Freight Network national development status is a real opportunity…
Huge opportunity for permanent shift to walking and cycling: Ramblers, Cycling UK & Transform proposals for NPF4
04 May 2020
We have today published a joint response to the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Scottish Government consultation on National Walking and Cycling Infrastructure with Ramblers Scotland and Cycling UK. Helen Todd, Ramblers Scotland’s campaigns & policy manager, said: “Together we’re calling for a transformative investment in our national path network, to make walking and cycling…
Better Cities & Better Links needed for a greener Scotland
30 April 2020
We have today submitted our views to the Scottish Government in response to its consultation on the new National Planning Framework (NPF4). In this letter, we set out two principal focuses for the government to pursue: Better Cities & Better Links. Better Cities To address the low levels of walking and cycling and high levels…
STPR2 analytical framework outdated for era of the Climate Emergency
29 April 2020
Transform Scotland has published its response to the Transport Scotland call for views on ‘Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) – National Case for Change Report’. Transform director Colin Howden said: “The report contains a useful analysis of key challenges that are faced by transport. It is also welcome also to see a formal rejection of…
Coronavirus impacts on transport & the priorities for recovery
27 April 2020
In advance of Tuesday afternoon’s Ministerial Statement on transport in the Scottish Parliament, Transform Scotland has published some early recommendations as to measures that the Scottish Government should be prioritising as it starts to assemble its recovery plans for transport. Transform Scotland director Colin Howden said: “The public has shown it is willing to make…
Greater urgency required in Edinburgh City Mobility Plan
23 April 2020
Transform Scotland has published its response to Edinburgh’s draft City Mobility Plan. Transform’s policy officer Marie Ferdelman, who wrote our response, said: “We strongly support the City of Edinburgh Council’s plans for transformative change in the city’s transport network over the next decade. However, we believe the plan requires more urgency, a stronger commitment to…
Support for Smart Growth UK report on safeguarding rail lines
15 April 2020
Transform Scotland are very happy to support the publication of Smart Growth UK’s new report ‘Defending our lines: safeguarding railways for reopening’. The convenor of our Policy Forum, Paul Tetlaw, has written a foreword for the report, in which he writes: “We very much welcome this report and the key messages which highlight the urgent…
Conservatives’ call to scrap Edinburgh tram scheme unashamed political exploitation of Corona crisis
12 April 2020
Transform trams spokesperson Nigel Bagshaw said: “Councillor Nick Cook’s latest ill-informed call to scrap Edinburgh’s Tram is not unexpected, but is disappointing. “Of course the Coronavirus pandemic will have far-reaching consequences, but the Tram project will not be impacted in any singular or unique manner. “The business case for it is based on the generation…
Berryden roads scheme shows Aberdeen as Scotland’s pariah city for sustainable transport
09 April 2020
Transform Scotland has submitted its objection to Aberdeen City Council’s £26 million ‘Berryden corridor improvement’ road scheme. Our full objection is below, but can be summarised as: Urban road-building is inconsistent with national transport policy, and is grossly out of touch with climate change priorities. The scheme will not resolve congestion, merely move it to…
Public transport operators urge avoiding unnecessary travel during Coronavirus outbreak
07 April 2020
The current Government guidelines on protecting yourself and others during the Coronovirus pandemic advise that we do not travel ‘unless for food, health and essential work.’ Public transport operators have kept key services running for those whose travel is essential. With that in mind, below is some of the advice from our public transport operator members…
Working From Home: increasing productivity while reducing travel
31 March 2020
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us to work from home and avoid all but essential travel. While working from home has become essential for many, if done effectively, it could lead to significant emission reductions from the transport sector in the longer-term future. As in waste, we are encouraged to reduce, reuse, recycle…
Walking and cycling key to staying healthy during Coronavirus outbreak
26 March 2020
The current Government guidelines on protecting yourself and others during the Coronavirus outbreak advises that we can go outside for exercise once a day while remaining 2 metres (6 feet) away from other people. This leaves walking and cycling as the best methods for keeping healthy through daily exercise for many of us. Below is…
Motherwell Station redevelopment plans welcomed
18 March 2020
We’re pleased to see the announcement of the plans for the redevelopment of Motherwell Station. Transform Scotland rail spokesperson Paul Tetlaw said: “The £14.5m investment in Motherwell Station is very welcome as is the plan for more Anglo-Scottish trains to call there. “There is significant potential for rail to capture more of the Anglo-Scottish traffic…
Parliament seeking views on Climate Change Plan
10 March 2020
The Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform Committee (ECCLR) is scrutinising the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan. As part of this, the ECCLR Committee is seeking views on what people would be willing to do to reduce their own emissions and what the Scottish Government should be doing to support these changes. To submit your…
Walking given much needed attention at the Parliament
03 March 2020
This evening will see the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Cycling, Walking and Buses at the Scottish Parliament. Transform provides the secretariat to the CPG. The focus of the meeting will be walking. Walking is still the second most common mode of transport in Scotland yet remains a marginal consideration within the transport debate. For public…