30 November 2010
Scottish Budget doesn't deliver for sustainable transport
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
"Despite the welcome elements of the Budget, the overall thrust does not deliver the step change in spending priorities needed to meet the Government's climate targets or deliver for sustainable transport." Transform Scotland's evidence concludes:
- We welcome the protection of spending for many areas of sustainable transport
- We are critical of the removal (or threatened removal) of funding from key areas: in particular, the cancellation of the Freight Facilities Grants and the omission of the Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets fund
- We are critical of the continued increase in spending on road-building ahead of investment in sustainable transport
- The proposed expenditure on the Second Forth Road Bridge will seriously constrain future options for delivering sustainable transport: the first priority should instead be to fix the existing Forth Road Bridge
- We would like to see the impact of the committed spend on transport infrastructure projects on future years’ transport budgets
- We do not agree that the Government has taken the opportunities available to it to raise funds rather than implement cuts
- There is a serious mismatch between the Draft Budget and the RPP ‘Proposals’ highlighted for 2011
- The Draft Budget should bring forward spending on the ‘Smarter Choices’ measures highlighted in the RPP
- There has been no progress on the meaningful application of carbon assessment to the Budget.