Why Scotland needs a public transport revolution but won't be getting one anytime soon

Many people want to travel in a more environmentally friendly way, but there are significant barriers to using public transport, particularly cost and the lack of services

When the Scottish Government revealed earlier this week that it was going to drop its target to reduce car use by 20 per cent by 2030, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop argued it was now “unnecessary” to reduce carbon emissions, partly because of the rise of electric vehicles.

However, as of last year, less than two per cent of cars in Scotland were electric, compared to more than 50 per cent in Norway.

It seems more likely that this was yet another SNP promise that was never really going to happen. Certainly, those annoyed by ministers’ failures to build new ferries, dual the A9, or set up a simple recycling scheme may detect a theme.

Clearly the best way to persuade people to drive less is to offer a reliable, convenient and cost-effective alternative way to travel. However, public transport in Scotland has never really recovered from the 1960s, when Dr Beeching took an axe to the railways and the car was king, prompting plans for a six-lane motorway through Edinburgh.

Travelling by train can be an expensive and frustrating experience (Picture: Andrew Milligan) | PA

New research by Consumer Scotland has found nearly two-thirds of people want to travel in a more environmentally friendly way but that the high cost and the lack of availability of public transport are significant barriers. David Jackson, of Consumer Scotland, said: “Reducing emissions from transport will be crucial to meeting overall net-zero goals, but for too many consumers public transport is hard to access, is seen as costly or does not feel safe.”

People want to do the right thing, but if it is not practical, they are not going to do it. Traffic jams and potholes aside, car journeys are usually a simple matter of driving from A to B. Without a comprehensive network, travelling by public transport can involve long waits while changing from one service to another. The price of many train tickets also usually far exceeds the petrol cost of a car journey and it is even sometimes cheaper to fly.

Scotland needs a public transport revolution, a ‘reverse Beeching’ if you like. But, given the lack of vision and drive, don’t expect one to come along anytime soon.