Transport Commitment needed from Political Parties  

CIHT Scotland issues call for action on Transport Infrastructure

 

CIHT Scotland calls for political parties to focus on the importance of transport infrastructure during the Holyrood elections.

 

Neil Johnstone, Chair of the CIHT Scottish Policy Forum said:

“Scotland relies on an efficient transport network to support economic growth and social development. The performance of this network, including its reliability and resilience, is fundamental to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the Scotland and the rest of the UK."

"Everyone depends on or uses the Scottish transport network and infrastructure for access to work, schools, hospitals, shops, leisure activities, friends, families and many other facilities associated with living in a modern society."

"Our briefing includes calls for commitments to long-term funding and a full review of the National Transport Strategy. We have focused on the action needed to ensure that Scotland and the UK is able to compete globally, support social inclusion and reduce the UK’s carbon emissions now and in the future."

This briefing note covers:

•??? National Transport Strategy - CIHT welcomed the recent refresh and was pleased to contribute to the advisory group – CIHT believe that a full review of the National Transport Strategy should be developed to provide clear direction and certainty for Scottish transport policy.
•??? Economy and Funding – CIHT calls for a longer-term view and commitment to future funding for Scotland’s transport infrastructure.
•??? Network Resilience – adequate maintenance and funding of transport networks must be a central part of Scotland’s policy.
•??? Transport’s wider benefits – transport has a role to play tackling some of our big societal challenges including air quality, the rise in obesity (through active travel), the ageing population and social exclusion (through connecting people and places).
•??? Transport and Planning – the planning system must continue to embrace transport networks and acknowledge the fundamental role they play in economic and social development.
•??? Skills – the recruitment, careful development and retention of the next generation is central to a vibrant, internationally competitive, diverse and inclusive industry.

A full version of the briefing note is available here  1. CIHT Scotland - Election briefing 2016

 

A review of the political party manifestos references to infrastructure is available here

 

Alastair Dalton from the Scotsman has released commentary on the political party manifestos can be found here

Notes for editors

The Scottish Policy Forum

The Scottish Policy Forum (SPF) is part of CIHT Scotland. SPF ensure relevant transport technical and policy issues are brought to the attention of CIHT members across Scotland and produce timely responses to the Scottish Government on public consultations.  It develops policy and technical updates for members with a specific Scottish context and generally provides a platform for greater stakeholder engagement in for CIHT Scotland.