Transport minister Keith Brown shuns rail for chaffeur-driven car
Keith Brown has travelled by train just four times in the last year. PictureL Jayne Wright
HE URGES drivers to leave their car behind and use public transport – but prefers the ministerial limo himself.
Official figures show transport minister Keith Brown has travelled by train just four times since being appointed a year ago, while making 226 journeys by chauffeur-driven government car.
And despite his responsibility for the £1 billion Scot- Rail contract, Brown has also proved far less of a fan of the train than several ministers, including his predecessor.
The latest Scottish Government figures show rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead made 15 rail journeys between December 2010 – when Brown was appointed – and last October. Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop made six.
However, Stewart Stevenson, who Brown replaced, has taken the train 59 times since he returned as environment minister in May. In two-and-a-half years at transport, Stevenson clocked up 1,000 train or bus journeys, regularly providing updates in his speeches.
By contrast, Brown’s official track record runs to only two Glasgow-Edinburgh rail journeys in December 2010, and one from Perth to Edinburgh and another from Edinburgh to London last September. His journeys by official car include trips from Ayr, Edinburgh and Perth to Glasgow, and Alloa to Edinburgh, all of which have rail stations.
Brown’s limo log includes being driven from a “personal address” to Airdrie station for the launch of the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line last March. He was even driven to Waverley station in Edinburgh from a “personal address” in June.
In his New Year message, Brown called on Scots to make 2012 “the year they explore alternative means of travel, including cycling, walking and public transport.”
However, he admitted to relying on his official car. He said: “Personally, my car acts as a mobile office, allowing me to catch up on work in between engagements in a way I wouldn’t be able to using other means of transport.”
Yesterday, green campaigners said Brown must get out more. Colin Howden, director of sustainable transport group Transform Scotland, said: “If he’s not prepared to travel more sustainably then he has little credibility in telling others to get out of their cars. Perhaps if [he] used public transport, he’d be less eager to slash funding for buses and cycling.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie added: “Any transport minister who chooses to travel daily by limo really can’t claim to stand up for the interests of rail passengers, especially in a week when the SNP has hugely increased the motorways budget but cut funding for sustainable transport.
“It’s time he spent some serious time using trains and buses, seeing for himself the standard of public transport many people have to use every day of the week, and the failings which come from letting companies put profit ahead of public interest.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The journeys detailed on [our] website are only those Mr Brown has actually claimed expenses for. They do not cover the other journeys he has taken which have not been claimed in expenses.
“As well as this, Mr Brown travels by bus regularly around Edinburgh, Glasgow and his constituency and enjoys the opportunity to speak to other public transport users.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s pledge to sign up 1m voters
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 103 comments to this article
Page 1 of 7
bonechewer
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:15 PMBoy Keith - beefy to his friends - could do with using shanks pony a bit more; it would do him and his expenses account, a power of good.
Maurice the Dolphin
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:28 PMAny chauffeur-driven trips to Easter Road this year yet Keith? Or has that lucrative one stopped since you were caught last time? Arf, Arf, Arf.
Maurice the Dolphin
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:27 PMA Government spokesman said "Mr Brown travels by bus regularly in his constituency and enjoys the opportunity to speak to other public transport users"...........Aye and I've got several money trees growing in my back garden.
Bairn
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:21 PMAbdles, I believe the Barclay brothers own the Scotsman and they are both residents of one of the Channel Islands, I believe it is Sark. In fact I believe they own the whole island.
famous15
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 11:41 PMI am no separatist I want to join the real world. Vote YES.
abdles
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 11:33 PMKeith, 97, they do get quite boring with their squabbling, it's like a Haribo advert! I am amazed and very interested when someone is moderated; they must have been really bad! Some of the things people say on this comic, oops sorry, newspaper is not acceptable. The Herald is maybe too strict but they also at least put up a token effort in trying to be neutral. The Scotsman has all but given up. I expect rags like the Daily Hate Mail and The Daily Ranger to be biased but so many people believe what they read. Come on Scotsman, where are your professional standards? Anyone know who owns The Scotman?
KeithBraidwood
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 10:24 PMOh dear. This thread went off the point a long time ago. Why do people not stick to the story in hand rather than rant and rave about their, often, personal aggrievances. Stick to the story people rather than waste the time of others wading through mindless drivel.
Ron Greer
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:37 PM86---Would you prefer to wait until your sober before answering that?
Ron Greer
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:04 PM89 that's OK Denmark is an independent but not separatist country
Ron Greer
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:02 PM86 could you translate this into English?
Vote 'NO'
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:43 PM91. I also think the presiding officer in the Zimbanwean parky is better at his or er job than the one we've got? The quality of debate is most likely better too, as is the opportunity for opposition members to give their opinions.
Vote 'NO'
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:41 PM91. If it's that bad, then why are you Separatists so keen to staywith sterling? The way you put it, the Euro would be better? Any other Seps willing to back this great idea?
Jimmy Fae the West
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:17 PM89 Vote 'NO' Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:03 PM 88 Watch out, the Separatists will be looking at this and soon suggesting we use Denmark as our role model. _______________________________________________________ Bankrupt UK of Grate Britain seems to aspiring to be Haiti? Printing billions of fairy-paper money is how Mugabe and Cameron manages the economy. Mind you, Mugabe won an election. Neither Cameron nor Gordon Brown ever did.
Jimmy Fae the West
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:13 PM62 Hazelkaye Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 01:17 PM Coincidentally the price of his limo's fuel was initially costed in dollars! Dollar being his main "personal address"! ________________________________________________________ I tried getting a train from Dollar once but the Grand ol' Great British parliament decided that public owned, public transport was offensive and ripped up the rail tracks through Dollar at least forty years before! Go figure? India with it's space programme (which gets aid from Britain) beats bankrupt Britain-UK on rail travel.
Vote 'NO'
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:03 PM88 Watch out, the Separatists will be looking at this and soon suggesting we use Denmark as our role model.
Page 1 of 7
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.