Scots propose cut to active travel spending

Transport groups in Scotland have voiced concern about a proposed cut in spending on active travel by the Government next year.

The South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran) says the draft budget for ‘sustainable transport’ will fall by £2.6m (cash) or £3.4m (real terms, 2014/15 prices), amounting to a 6% real terms reduction. 

The calculation is based on the aggregate of three budget headings: support for sustainable and active travel – £29m this year, falling to £25m in 2015/16; the Future Transport Fund rising from £18.7m this year to £20.3m in 2015/16; and the cycling, walking and safer streets fund falling from £8.2m to £8m in 2015/16 (all figures in cash terms). 

“SEStran believes this to be a key budget heading requiring more than the 1.2% it receives of the total transport budget if there is to be significant progress towards sustainability aims,” says the regional transport partnership.

It points to the Scottish Government’s target for 10% of all trips to be made by bicycle. “In spite of the Government’s target, the proportion of journeys to work and study by bicycle for the whole of Scotland remains low at 1.5% in 2011, having changed marginally if at all since 2001.” 

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman told LTT: “We are increasing investment in active travel at a time when our overall capital budget has decreased by 26%. Investment in active travel in both 2014/15 and 2015/16 will be considerably higher than in the years prior to the 2011 spending review. In 2011/12, 1.8% of the total transport budget was spent on sustainable and active travel. This will rise to 2.5% in 2015/16 on current spending allocation plans.”

Ministers have yet to decide what the Future Transport Fund will be spent on.

Discuss this at LTT's Smarter Travel 2015 event