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Transport is Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions and the primary source of air pollution, which leads to 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year. 

We need a decent public transport system that everyone can afford, and for people to feel safer walking and cycling so that fewer of us are using cars to get around.

 

By shifting the focus of planning and public spending towards public transport, walking and cycling we'll improve our health, climate and tackle social inequality.

Our transport system needs to change

Our current transport system isn’t working for us.  Our “car is king” mentality means that driving is often the only option for people, leaving those without a car behind and causing dangerous levels of air pollution and carbon emissions in the process.

Making transport work for everyone

Public transport should be for everyone.  This means making them free for all, but also bringing buses back into public ownership so services are run where people need them, not just where bus companies can make the most profit.

We need councils to build safe cycling networks, so people are confident in using their bikes to get around.  And communities must take the lead in the transition away from our car-dominated system, so that what replaces it works for all of Scotland.

What we are doing

  • Pushing the Scottish Government to take stronger action to meet its climate goals
  • Researching the best solutions for creating a transport system that works for everyone
  • Supporting community groups to create change in their area
  • Increasing awareness of the environmental, health and social problems caused by the current transport system.

Recent successes

  • We helped push the Scottish Government into commiting to reduce car travel by 20% by 2030
  • Low Emission Zones are being introduced in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee
  • Councils have new powers to start publicly-owned bus companies
  • The active travel budget will be increased to 10% of the Government’s overall transport budget by 2024.

We need to start thinking of public transport as an essential service, like education or health. It should be available to everyone and free at the point of use. This is the only way we can tackle the climate crisis, air pollution and the inequality being caused by the current system.

Gavin Thomson, Transport Campaigner