Delivering a transport network fit for Scotland’s future.
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The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) has set out clear expectations for the next Scottish Government, calling for sustained, long term transport policy and investment that moves beyond short term fixes and delivers a resilient, safe and inclusive transport system for communities across Scotland.
In the run up to the Scottish Parliamentary election, CIHT has welcomed the strong focus on transport and infrastructure across party manifestos. Commitments on potholes, public transport, ferries, rail services and safety reflect the vital role transport plays in supporting everyday life, economic activity and connectivity across urban, rural and island communities.
CIHT is the chartered professional body representing those who plan, design, operate and maintain Scotland’s transport networks. Drawing on our previous government call in A Transport Network Fit for All Our Futures, CIHT is calling on the next Scottish Government to focus on four priority areas to ensure manifesto ambitions translate into effective delivery.
1. Move beyond short term fixes on asset condition
CIHT recognises cross party commitments to tackling potholes and improving road condition. While these are highly visible issues, CIHT is clear that potholes are a symptom of deeper challenges and only one aspect of asset maintenance.
The next Scottish Government should prioritise sustained investment in whole life asset management, addressing ageing infrastructure, structural condition and climate resilience. Long term funding certainty for local roads is essential to enable authorities to plan, procure and maintain networks efficiently, reduce reactive repairs and deliver better value for money.
2. Build resilience alongside decarbonisation
Several parties’ manifestos highlight climate change, emissions reduction and the transition to net zero. CIHT is calling for equal emphasis on transport resilience.
Flooding, heat, storms and supply chain disruption are already affecting Scotland’s roads, railways and ferry services. The next Scottish Government should commit to systematic transport resilience assessments, targeted funding to address known vulnerabilities, and greater use of green and blue infrastructure to adapt networks to future conditions.
CIHT also stresses the importance of accounting for reactive resilience within budgets, ensuring transport systems are equipped to respond effectively to unforeseen events while remaining sustainable over time.
3. Deliver genuinely sustainable and inclusive travel choices
Across the political spectrum, there are commitments on buses, fares, rail services, ferries and greater local control. CIHT supports efforts to improve affordability and accessibility, particularly for rural communities, areas outside the central belt and island populations.
These ambitions will be most effective when delivered through a place based, integrated approach, aligning transport investment with land use planning. This will help ensure people have realistic, safe and attractive alternatives to car dependency, while maintaining network reliability for those who need or choose to drive.
4. Put safety at the heart of transport policy
Safety features in several manifestos, including road safety and passenger security. CIHT expects the next Scottish Government to demonstrate clear leadership by re establishing national and local road safety targets, providing clarity on safe and appropriate speeds, and explicitly recognising the highway network as a place of work.
Protecting all road users, alongside those who maintain and operate the network, must remain a core expectation of any future transport strategy.
Working with the profession
Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive of CIHT, said:
“Scotland’s transport network underpins everyday life and economic prosperity—linking our cities and towns with rural and island communities. It’s encouraging to see transport and infrastructure featuring prominently across parties’ election commitments, from maintaining roads and renewing ferries to improving public transport, rail services and safety.
“As the professional body for the people who plan, design, operate and maintain these networks, CIHT is ready to work with the next Scottish Government to turn manifesto ambition into a long term, properly funded programme that delivers resilient infrastructure, supports net zero and provides safe, inclusive and sustainable travel choices. Our members will be central to making these commitments real, bringing the professional expertise needed to design, deliver and maintain the improvements people across Scotland will rightly expect to see.”
More detail on party transport related manifesto pledges is available below.
More details on the SNP manifesto is available here
More information on the Scottish Conservative's manifesto is available here
More information on the Scottish Labour Party's manifesto is available here
More information on the Scottish Green's manifesto is available here
More information on Reform UK's manifesto is available here
More information on the Scottish Liberal Democrat's manifesto is available here
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