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Reposted by Colin Howden

Transform Scotland @transform.scot · 22/04/2026

As part of Earth Raise 2026’s Big Give, we’re raising funds to build support for policies tackling the growing impacts of oversized SUVs. donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

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Reposted by Colin Howden

Transform Scotland @transform.scot · 21/04/2026

Parking shapes our streets more than most people realise. Today we’ve launched Ahead of the Kerb: a new report on the hidden costs of parking, and how we can use parking policy better to create people-first cities 👉 transform.scot/2026/04/21/h...

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

4. Will any consideration be given to the economic viability of public transport services? 5. Will the new Scottish administration give sufficient attention to transport? 6. Will the new Scottish Parliament do a better job of scrutinising transport?

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

6 Questions for '26 transform.scot/2026/01/12/6... 1. Will we see even one mile of new bus lane laid down during 2026? 2. Will we see a national campaign put in place to deliver road traffic reduction? 3. Will we see any movement on traffic demand management anywhere in Scotland?

transform.scot

6 questions for '26 - Transform Scotland

Looking at the year ahead, director Colin Howden poses a series of hard questions about the future direction of transport in Scotland. 1. Will we see even one mile of...

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Following widespread speculation that the Chancellor will announce plans for a pay-per-mile charge for electric vehicle use in tomorrow's UK Budget, here's the article initially written for @transform.scot's 'Ideas for Investment' report. www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-im...

linkedin.com

A new impetus behind road pricing?

The reform of transport taxation to place the ‘polluter pays principle’ at its core has for decades now been the cherished ambition of sustainable transport advocates. Road pricing has long been held ...

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Reposted by Colin Howden

Transform Scotland @transform.scot · 27/08/2025

Today we’re proud to launch Why Fly? – a new website which asks #WhyFly when rail beats air on comfort, carbon, and value to Scotland? Explore our 20 year-long campaign: whyfly.scot Trains emit up to 90% less CO₂ than flights, provide more comfort, and contribute more to Scotland’s economy.

Why Fly website home screen reads: Why Fly? Flying is the most carbon-intensive mode of transport. We want Scottish businesses and public sector organisations to commit to choosing train over plane for UK trips.

Bar chart illustrating carbon footprints of air (177 kg of CO2 per passenger) vs rail (28 kg of CO2 per passenger)

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Reposted by Colin Howden

Transform Scotland @transform.scot · 02/04/2025

🚍 NEW REPORT: Public backs bus priority—now it’s time for action Today, we launch ‘Life in the Bus Lane’, revealing strong public support for bus priority measures—even from non-bus users 👇 transform.scot/our-work/our... 🧵 Read on for key findings & what needs to change [1/5]

Image of Life in the Bus Lane project report cover

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Yes, spot on. Let's see the £10m *only* spent on delivering bus priority. Five years of buggering about and, as far as I can see, precisely no new bus lanes on the roads.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Bus Partnership Fund reported as having been "concluded" by Transport Scotland according to Route One magazine. So concluded only c. £473m short of the £500m originally committed. We wait to see how the replacement £10m Bus Infrastructure Fund will work. www.route-one.net/news/bus-inf...

route-one.net

Bus Infrastructure Fund in Scotland to handle spend on priority

The Bus Partnership Fund in Scotland – currently subject to a heavily-criticised 'pause' – will be replaced by a Bus Infrastructure Fund.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

I don't think so. Having now looked at the Level 4 figures, this may be a non-story. It states there that "The [£107.5m] reduction in [rail] capital funding relates to the timing of lease renewals for fleet and, as a technical accounting adjustment, has no practical impact on operational delivery."

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

I won't waste my time on them. The UKCCC have repeatedly made it clear that they are not prepared to scrutinise the SG's road-building programme. It seems that in their world, climate change scrutiny is only about things that *might* cut emissions, not things that *will* increase emissions.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

So the £500m Bus Partnership Fund has indeed been cancelled, not "paused", as Transport Scotland claimed earlier this year. But it has been replaced by a £10m 'Bus Infrastructure Fund'. www.gov.scot/binaries/con... Unclear whether this new fund comes at the expense of active travel investment.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

This table suggests a value of £10m for the Bus Infrastructure Fund. www.gov.scot/binaries/con... So rather less than the £500m previously promised for the -- now-definitely-cancelled, not-paused -- BPF.

gov.scot

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The mystery of 'Low Carbon Programmes' is lifted at Level 4: "ScotZEB 2, LEZ Support, Freight Facilities Grant, HGV Residual Value Support Grant, and EV Infrastructure Fund" plus new "HGV Residual Value Support Grant, Rural & Islands Infrastructure Fund and Transport Just Transition Skills Grant"

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Strange that this new Fund didn't get a mention in the budget -- not least as it would have answered the budget calls of quite a few folk. We'll have to wait to see what it comprises -- and what impact it has on active travel investment.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Interesting that a 'Bus Investment Fund' now being put in place from funds that were previously (mainly) allocated to active travel investment. bsky.app/profile/spok...

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

I've now found the Level 4 disaggregations, courtesy of @spokeslothian.bsky.social www.gov.scot/binaries/con...

gov.scot

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The above is of course a 'errors and omissions excepted' job. It's difficult to provide informed public policy scrutiny when the information is presented so opaquely. Only the cynics would suggest that this may be deliberate!

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Secondly, the 'Regional Transport Partnerships' line increases from zero last year back up to £12.4m. This may be the reinstatement of some capital funds which were cancelled last year. But again, would a basic explanatory note have been too difficult for the government to include?

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Table 8.08 'Grants to Local Authorities' contains a couple of interesting points: Firstly, the 'Cycling, Walking & Safer Routes' line, zero last year, increases back up to 23.9m. That combined with the £164.8m on p74 does total to £188.7m. But not all of the latter will be on active travel.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

'Support for Ferry Services' (10% up) and the 'Vessels and Piers' budget lines (53% up) both see large increases. Good to see investment going up in ferry infrastructure, as it has been known for years that systematic underinvestment here led to the service unreliability suffered in recent years.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The A9 dualling programme was justified in the Cab Sec's speech on grounds of safety. But there appears to be no budget for road safety itself. The last time that this featured as a separate line in the budget was in the 2023-24 budget, when the total value fro the rest of Scotland was £25m.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The roads spending lines remain reliably obscure. One of the few specific projects isolated in the document is "£112 million to progress the dualling of the A9" (p12).

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The spectacularly opaque 'Low Carbon Programmes' increases from £36.0m to £54.4m (a 51% increase). Does anyone know what this is spent on, and whether it actually reduces climate emissions from transport?

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Page 9 refers to "£188.7 million in a range of active and sustainable travel measures". This doesn't match the figures set up on p74, but again must be mostly on active travel. Whatever the number, this is less than half of the 10% of the transport budget promised for investment into active travel.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The 'Support for Active and Sustainable Travel' budget line (p74) falls by £20.6m (from £185.4m to £164.8m). As ever, there's no explanation of what this budget line is actually spent on, although most of it must be on active travel.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Absolutely no reference to 'bus priority' in the #ScottishBudget, and certainly no indication of the reinstatement of the Bus Partnership Fund. Very strange 'climate emergency' priorities for £100m+ to be found for A9 dualling but not a cent can be found for bus priority.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The 'Support for Bus Services', which I presume is the Network Support Grant for bus operations, falls steeply (by 9%) from £55.5m to £49.5m. That'll make it more difficult for bus operators to provide services. So let's just hope that there are some services left for bus users to travel on.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The 'Concessionary Fares' line rises substantially (12% up), from £370.4m to £414.5m. There's no explanation in the document, so are we to presume that this is a result of continuing uptake of the under-22s free bus scheme?

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

In terms of the 'Rail Services', I'm not sure I ever understood why it rose so much last year (from £878.0m to £1,004.2m). I'm certainly unclear why it now bounces back down to £897.6m. Can anyone else explain this?

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

While the Cab Sec spoke about new rail rolling stock in her speech, p70 clarifies this as "commenc[ing] plans to replace ScotRail’s Intercity fleets". As the £43.8m increase (p73) in the 'Rail Infrastructure Improvement and Rolling Stock Projects' line wouldn't buy one many new trains.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Looking at the Level 3 disaggregations:

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Transport is on pages 70-75. The Level 2 spend summaries show: Rail: down 4.3% (£69.2m down) Bus & concessionary fares: up 8.9% (£38.5m up) 'Sustainable travel' etc.: up 16.0% (£43.3m) Roads: up 5.3% (£53.9m) Ferries: up 22.7% (£98.5m) Air: up 3.1% (£2.8m) Total transport: up 4.4% (£167.8m)

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Just having a look at the transport aspects of the #ScottishBudget document now. As ever, the thing is difficult to scrutinise because of the general opacity of the information presented.

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Reposted by Colin Howden

Transform Scotland @transform.scot · 03/12/2024

Wednesday's #ScotBudget needs to deliver for #SustainableTransport: 🚌 Reinstate investment in bus priority 🚶‍♀️ Invest in the healthiest modes of transport 🚃 Get rail electrification plans back on track 💷 Develop new revenue sources Our priorities: transform.scot/2024/12/03/t...

transform.scot

transform's priorities for the scottish budget - Transform Scotland

Wednesday 4 December sees the Scottish Government’s finance secretary set out the draft Scottish Budget for 2025/26. We set out here four areas where we need to see the Scottish...

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

The @transformscot.bsky.social 'Ideas for Investment' report contains my article on how in Iceland action is being taken now to implement road pricing for EVs. transform.scot/2024/11/27/f... It's now almost 4 years since Scot Gov committed to road traffic reduction. We're long overdue for action.

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Colin Howden @transform-director.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Hello Bluesky! I'd encourage you all to have a look at the new @transformscot.bsky.social report published today. Lots of opportunity to put in place the investment needed to deliver sustainable transport in Scotland.

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