Purpose

To provide the Board with an update on developments and achievements since the last Board meeting in July 2025.

Progress is being made against the Fourth NTS Delivery Plan, published on 19 December 2024, which sets out the range of actions the Scottish Government will take until the end of 2025 to support the delivery of a sustainable, safe, inclusive, resilient transport system that meets the needs of individuals, businesses, and visitors, and is accessible to all.

All NTS Board Members’ representative organisations were invited to contribute to this update. 

Section 1: Reduces inequalities

Rail: Free rail travel pilot for companions of blind people

The Scottish Government has launched a pilot scheme that provides free rail travel for companions of blind and partially sighted people. The pilot will apply on all ScotRail train journeys across Scotland and begun on 1 April 2025.

Under this new pilot scheme, individuals holding an eye +1 National Entitlement Card (NEC) will be able to travel with a companion at no additional cost. The pilot scheme, which will run for one year, aims to make train travel more affordable and accessible for blind and partially sighted passengers by introducing a consistent, nationwide policy for free companion rail travel, aligning with existing concessionary bus and ferry travel across Scotland. Transport Scotland officials are currently evaluating the pilot and will make recommendations to Scottish Ministers in 2026.

Bus: Young Persons Scheme (Under 22s)

As of 9 October 2025, children and young people in Scotland have now made over 250 million free bus journeys since the Scottish Government introduced free travel for under-22s three years ago.

Launched in January 2022, the scheme has transformed how young people are accessing public transport, helping to eradicate child poverty, support climate action, and boost the economy by opening access to education, jobs, and leisure. Over 80% of eligible young people now have access to the scheme through a National Entitlement Card or Young Scot National Entitlement Card.

By encouraging early adoption of public transport, the initiative has made a lasting impact – reducing travel costs for families, expanding opportunities, and reconnecting younger generations with bus travel.

SPT free public transport trial

SPT and Glasgow City Council have announced a free public transport pilot which is scheduled to launch in Glasgow at the beginning of next year, involving 1,000 participants. Each participant will receive an SPT ZoneCard, providing unlimited travel for up to seven weeks across trains, the subway, and buses within the Glasgow network.

The pilot aims to explore how free access to public transport affects travel choices, access to services and participants’ overall well-being.

Extension to young islanders for free ferry travel to the mainland

On 23 June 2025 the Scottish Government extended the islands concessionary scheme which entitles eligible island residents to two free return ferry trips to the Scottish mainland to 19 to 21 year-olds. A commitment within the Islands Connectivity plan, this is an expansion of the previous eligibility for ages 16-18, that has benefitted 2,179 young people in 2025. The Scottish Government is funding this extension, with the local authorities and ferry operators as delivery partners.

Bus Infrastructure Fund

The Scottish Government has now allocated £20 million through the new Bus Infrastructure Fund in 2025-26.

Meeting the commitment outlined in the Programme for Government, the investment will improve bus infrastructure across Scotland and support the First Minister’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and improving public services.

The investment is supporting the development and construction of a wide range of infrastructure projects across Scotland – from bus lanes and bus priority signals to accessible features and transport hubs. These improvements are designed to shorten journey times, increase reliability, and improve integration with other modes of transport, ultimately encouraging more people to choose the bus over private vehicles.

All seven RTPs have reported progress on delivery in partnership with local authorities.

Bus: Transport (Scotland) Act 2019

The final regulations required to fully implement bus franchising were laid on 1 May 2025 to came into force in June 2025. Guidance is currently under development to support Local Transport Authorities to develop both Bus Services Improvement Partnerships and franchises.

Consultation on the Bus Open Data (Section 40 of the 2019 Transport Act) was originally set to close on 21 June 2025 but continued to receive responses for a further two weeks past that date. This consultation has informed the associated secondary legislation, which we are seeking to lay in January 2026. The Bus Open Data Regulations will require bus operators to provide standardised, prescribed information about timetables, routes, tickets, fares and other journey-based information, including the real time location (not assumed location) of vehicles while in use. This Data will be available openly, through the Open Government Licence, with the purpose of better informing passengers and potential passengers about their journeys. We have also identified a number of future developments around accessibility and environmental information which we will review once these initial Regulations are in place.

Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS)

Transport Scotland continue to act as Sponsor for the Mobility and Access Committee, the advisory non departmental public body, which considers and advises Scottish Ministers about the needs of disabled persons in connection with transport.

Recruitment is underway to ensure MACS maintains the minimum number of members required to operate as a statutory committee. We are recruiting 5 new members, interviews will take place in early December 2025. This is essential in maintaining MACS's ability to function effectively and continue its advisory role on accessible transport.

Plugged-in Communities Fund

Community transport operators have been invited to apply for Scottish Government funding to invest in zero emission vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The latest round of the Plugged-in Communities Fund makes £4 million available for the purchase or lease of electric vehicles, including wheelchair accessible vehicles, and the associated charging infrastructure.

Since the launch of the Plugged-in Communities Fund in 2021, over £4.2 million in grants has been provided to 49 community transport organisations to procure 64 new, zero emission vehicles to replace their current diesel vehicles. By switching their vehicles to electric, the recipients of the fund have saved around 8,000 tonnes of CO2. 

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The pan-Ayrshire public EV charging concession contract is currently out to tender. This is a good example of partnership working across three local authorities (North, South and East Ayrshire) in partnership with the Scottish Futures Trust.

In August HITRANS and Scottish Government launched the North and West Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) programme covering Orkney, Shetland, Argyll & Bute and Eilean Siar (Western Isles) with £3 million awarded to the project from the EVIF.

Perth and Kinross Council Community Transport Initiative

Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) is advancing its initiative to make fully MOT-certified minibuses available to community groups and sports clubs. 17 minibuses are expected to reach the end of their operational service period between 2024 and 2025. While these vehicles will no longer be used by the Council, they may provide significant community benefit by supporting local services. Each minibus will be supplied with a minimum six-month MOT certificate, and an inspection report detailing the vehicle’s condition will be provided to any interested group.

PKC is also progressing its initiative to provide 8-seat multipurpose vehicles to rural community groups to deliver their own transport solutions.

Section 2: Takes Climate Action

Climate Change Plan

The SSI for Scotland Carbon Budgets was laid on 16 June 2025 alongside a Statement To Accompany The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025

Carbon budget levels were approved by the Scottish Parliament on 8 October 2025 and came into force on 10 October 2025 and represent an ambitious delivery pathway towards achieving net zero by 2045. The Carbon Budgets set clear limits on Scotland’s emissions in line with the independent advice of the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC).

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act requires that a plan is produced which sets out the policies and proposals which will deliver emissions reductions consistent with meeting our carbon budgets. The draft Climate Change Plan, published on 6 November, sets out the actions needed to continue to reduce our emissions and meet our first three carbon budget targets.

Zero Emission Buses (ScotZEB2)

On 8 August 2025, the Scottish Government announced further investment of up to £40 million through the second Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB2). It is estimated that this investment could bring as many as 300 zero-emission buses to Scotland’s bus operators.

This latest investment builds on the success of the ScotZEB scheme to date, which has already delivered hundreds of zero-emission buses and coaches across Scotland. Twinned with this investment, the Scottish Government is currently examining options for a regulatory approach, to apply from a date no earlier than 2030, to further support the phased uptake of zero emission buses. This would contribute significantly to reducing the emissions from heavy duty vehicles in Scotland and encourage more passengers to choose bus as a sustainable public transport option.

As the final round of funding to support large operators to transition their vehicles, the ScotZEB 2 investment will help reduce transport emissions and support a just transition to a net zero transport system.

Ember’s intercity electric coach network now connects Scottish urban centres including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Fort William, with additional stops in Perth, Stirling, Kinross, and Edinburgh Airport. The expanded routes improve sustainable travel options across the country, offering zero-emission journeys between key urban centres and rural communities.

Reducing car use

The Scottish Government remains wholeheartedly committed to reducing car use and our reliance on cars in a fair way. Jointly with COSLA, on 12 June 2025 we published a renewed policy statement on car use reduction which further sets out our policy position to work with COSLA and Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) to develop delivery plans for car use reduction, reflective of different communities and places. It set out four key next steps:

1. A revision of the 20% car use reduction target to set a successor target in alignment with the development of the draft Climate Change Plan which will support Net Zero by 2045;
2. A regulatory check of local road user charging powers;
3. The development of place-based and experience-specific delivery plans with key stakeholders
4. A national information and engagement campaign.

Following a review of the car use reduction policy, a new draft target has been set to reduce emissions from cars in the first carbon budget (2026-2030) by at least 16% from today’s levels (2023). Consistent with the CCC advice, we will need to reduce annual car mileage by at least 4% by 2030 (on a 2030 ‘business as usual’ forecast baseline) and at least 90% of all new car sales will need to be electric by the same year.

The first meeting of the working group for undertaking a regulatory check of local road user charging powers within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 took place on 7 October 2025 with representation from TS, COSLA, SCOTS, RTPs and a number of local authorities including Glasgow and Edinburgh. The group considered the scope of the work and terms of reference.

A working group to progress the approach to delivery plans and governance for car use reduction has continued to meet and has provided collaborative input into development of the new draft target set out above as well as continued discussion on governance and delivery planning, and includes membership from Scottish Government, COSLA, SCOTS and RTPs.

The second meeting of the working group for a national information and engagement campaign on car use reduction was held on 23 October 2025, giving steer on the content of a potential marketing campaign in 2026/27 (policy outcome, policy objectives) and starting to map out a stakeholder and public engagement plan.

In June 2025, Tactran completed their second study to help both regional and national partners understand the options and implications of delivering the 2020 Climate Change Action Plan’s target of reducing car use. The first study helped Tactran understand the key determinants of car use, the challenge of achieving the change through use of alternatives to the car, and hence the necessity for demand management measures to achieve a 20% reduction. Noting that any significant reduction in car use would require demand management measures, the second study helped identify the very different economic and equality impacts of the different basic types of demand management measures.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Tactran are continuing to run and pilot a MaaS journey planning programme to provide real world Scottish experience to inform Transport Scotland and other local and regional partners considerations of how to take MaaS forward.

Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (ACCAR) and Trunk Road Adaptation Plan (TRAP)

Transport Scotland’s Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (ACCAR) was published in 2023 and is a framework for managing climate risks and building resilience across our transport networks. Scotland’s Trunk Road Network is vulnerable to climate change impacts such as flooding, landslips and extreme weather events. To address these risks, Transport Scotland, under the ACCAR, committed to publishing a Trunk Road Adaptation Plan (TRAP) in 2025. The TRAP is a targeted, evidence-based strategy aligned with the ACCAR vision of a safe, reliable and resilient transport network. The plan outlines current and future climate change impacts using the Met Office’s UK Climate Change Projections (UKCP18). The TRAP was formally published on 2 October 2025 at an event attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport at Greencity Wholefoods in Glasgow.

Heavy Vehicle Decarbonisation

The Scottish Government has launched the new £2 million Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Market Readiness Fund for 2025-26. It is designed to support HGV operators, manufacturers, financiers and charge point operators to work together to identify investment in HGV Decarbonisation – boosting the economy and reducing transport emissions associated with road freight. The Fund is broken down into two strands: SME Fleet Analysis Support and HGV Consortium Builder.

Applications to the Consortium Builder strand closed in August 2025 and eight consortia have now been selected to receive funding to build partnerships spanning fleets, financiers and energy infrastructure providers.

The SME Fleet Analysis Support funding strand is open until 9 December 2025. This fund helps Scotland's smaller HGV fleets to access expertise and knowledge to understand their decarbonisation pathways.

In September 2025, a second iteration of research was published using haulage fleet telematics data to explore where HGV charging will be needed in Scotland for longer journeys. The research finds that enroute charging infrastructure must comprise at least 63 locations, of which 26 are already built or under development – meaning at least 37 additional sites are required. Full details at Towards Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure in Scotland: Phase 2 Report | Transport Scotland.

Sustainable Aviation

HITRANS have secured funding through the Future of Flight Challenge to continue the work of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) for two projects: SATE and Advanced Logistics BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) UAV Mission (ALBUM). These projects will develop the future strategy for sustainable aviation in the Highlands and Islands including beyond line of sight testing of Arc Aerosystems Heavy Lift Drone at Wick John O’Groats Airport.

Section 3: Helps Deliver Inclusive Economic Growth

Connecting Scotland – The Value of Transport

A new report titled: ‘Connecting Scotland – The Value of Transport’, was published in July 2025. This landmark report provides a comprehensive analysis of how transport contributes to Scotland’s economy, society, and environment. It highlights the essential role transport plays in enabling access to education, employment, healthcare, and social connections, while also supporting inclusive growth and climate action.

The report also strengthens the evidence base for transport policy and investment decisions, demonstrating how transport underpins national outcomes and aligns with broader Scottish Government priorities such as net zero, wellbeing, and community empowerment. It also reinforces the importance of cross-sector collaboration and long-term planning to maximise the value of transport for all.

Smart and Integrated Ticketing: The STAR report

The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB) was established in 2023 and comprises of a balance of public transport operators, transport authorities, passenger and accessibility representatives and technical experts. Its purpose is to advise Scottish Ministers on the strategic direction for smart ticketing in Scotland to improve consistency, accessibility and integration across modes and to set a technological standard for smart ticketing schemes in Scotland. Transport Scotland are working with the NSTAB to progress development of options for a new national integrated ticketing system to reflect passenger’s desire for integrated, contactless and digital ticketing across operators and modes. This is an important enabler of modal shift, which in turn is a supporting mechanism for driving inclusive growth.

The NSTAB have recently put before Scottish Ministers the ‘Standards and Technology Advisory Report’ which contains the bodies first set of recommendations to Scottish Ministers on ticketing. The report details a strategic framework that will advance smart ticketing in Scotland. It sets out the standards, governance models, technical architecture, and timelines necessary to build a multi-modal, interoperable and inclusive smart ticketing system inclusive of bus, rail, ferry, coach, tram and subway services. The work is aligned with overarching government objectives, including the National Transport Strategy 2 (NTS2), the Climate Change Plan, and the Fair Fares Review.

Major Projects: A9 Dualling

In July 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, announced the award of the construction contract to Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd for the fourth section of the A9 Dualling Programme between Tay Crossing and Ballinluig. This marks the achievement of another delivery milestone for the A9 Dualling Programme.

Following contract award the contractor is commencing preparations ahead of major construction works starting on site. The £152.74 million contract is part of the Scottish Governments £257 million investment in the A9 Dualling: Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project. It is anticipated that the new dual carriageway will be operational by end of 2028 at which point 45% of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be dualled, contributing to a safer, more resilient route for road users.

In addition to enhancing journey time reliability and safety for road users through dualling, the contract will deliver: a new side road network to improve access for the local communities of Dowally, Guay and Kindallachan; provision of a new overbridge at Guay South and a new underbridge at Kindallachan; and enhanced active travel routes and local path networks to improve access to and from the Highlands.

The contract notice for the fifth section of the A9 Dualling Programme between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie for £205 million (estimate at Q2 2025 prices) was published on 24 July 2025. This marks the formal start of the procurement process.

In addition to enhancing journey time reliability and safety for road users through dualling, the contract will deliver two major structures, at the River Tummel and Loch Faskally.

The publication of draft Orders for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing project on 30 May 2025 marks the start of the statutory authorisation process and is a significant milestone for the project. The statutory objection period associated with publication of draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the proposed scheme concluded on 25 July 2025.

Transport Scotland is now considering all representations and objections received and will consider the necessary next steps to progress the statutory process for the project.

Land acquisition by execution of a general vesting declaration was progressed for the Crubenmore to Kincraig and Dalraddy to Slochd projects.

Peat Management on A9 Dualling project

Transport Scotland is driving forward sustainable solutions for major road construction with a new approach towards peat management on the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project.

The project involves upgrading 9.6km of single carriageway to dual carriageway, and covers extensive peatland areas, which store carbon. Traditionally in road construction, the peat would be removed and disposed of as part of the construction process, which releases stored carbon, contributing to climate change. Transport Scotland is seeking a more sustainable solution to this challenge through the development of an innovative Peat Management Plan, which outlines a process for re-using and re-purposing excavated peat. The Plan, produced following input from delivery partners including Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Forestry Land Scotland (FLS), aims to minimise the environmental impact of construction by reducing the opportunity for carbon loss.

The Plan involves forming multiple ‘cell’ like structures within the area identified as suitable for peat re-use. The cells, once formed, will be infilled with peat that has been excavated as part of the dualling construction works. These ‘cell’ structures are being established at Allt na Slanaich, an area that was specially selected for its ground conditions, which were identified as being suitable for sustainable peat re-use. The handling of the excavated peat has also presented unique, complex challenges for the site team, as peat requires very wet conditions for storage and careful planning, making identification of a suitable location and suitable processes for handling the excavated peat crucial to success of the Plan. 

When excavated peat is stored in this manner, it allows for the continued storage of large amounts of carbon dioxide, helping to tackle climate change. Over time, the site will also provide opportunity for natural peatland flora and fauna habitat and woodland to form, further enhancing the local ecosystem.

Since August 2025, the site has received around 1,000m³ of peat per day, with a total of approximately 100,000m³ expected over the course of the works.

Major Projects: A83 Rest and Be Thankful

The Scottish Government is delivering a range of measures in the short, medium and long term to reduce the risk of impact of landslides on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful.

Design development of the medium-term solution (MTS) has continued and draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report were published for formal comment on 13 December 2024.

The long-term solution (LTS) design development work has continued at pace since the announcement of the preferred route in June 2023. Draft Orders and the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the long-term solution were also published on 13 December 2024 for formal comment, commencing the statutory process for the scheme. Ground investigation works, to inform the design of the proposed LTS scheme, have continued in the period, with site works concluding in September 2025.

Transport Scotland is considering all representations received, including objections, to the published draft Orders for both the medium and long-term solution schemes and are working at pace to resolve these if possible.

We continue to engage with stakeholders via the A83 Taskforce meetings chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport. The latest A83 Taskforce meeting was held via Teams on 1 October 2025, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport.

Major Projects: A96 Corridor

The feedback received during the 12-week consultation on the draft outcomes from the A96 Corridor Review was summarised and published in a report on 19 June 2025. This feedback, which is under active consideration, will help inform the Scottish Government’s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency.

Following Scottish Ministers taking title to the land required for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme on 21 April 2025, work is continuing to be progressed to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the scheme and thereafter a timetable can be set in line with available budgets.

In parallel with the A96 Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme, work also continues to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal and follows Scottish Ministers securing title to necessary land on 05 May 2025.

Rail Electrification and Battery-Electric trains

New, more reliable trains and the electrification of sections of the Fife and Borders railways was announced on 5^th September 2025 by the Cabinet Secretary. This will see £342 million invested by the Scottish Government, electrifying the lines and procuring 69 new trains, as part of the next stage in modernising Scotland’s Railway.

The project works include electrification of the Leven route, which was re-opened last year, as part of an investment of over £116 million. This brought passenger services back to this part of Fife for the first time in over 50 years.

Ferries: New Vessels

MV Glen Rosa is scheduled to join the fleet in 2026. Along with MV Glen Sannox which entered service at the start of this year, both dual fuel vessels constructed at Ferguson Marine will serve the main Arran route and bring much needed reliability, resilience and capacity to one of the busiest routes on the west coast.

Construction of four other major vessels is underway. MV Isle of Islay will be delivered by the end of the year and in service in early 2026 and will serve the Kennacraig to Islay route. The second Islay vessel, MV Loch Indaal as well as the MV Claymore and MV Lochmor both of which will operate from Uig (Skye) to Tarbert (Harris) and Lochmaddy (North Uist), are all progressing with all vessels in service by mid 2027.

Phase one of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme will see seven new electric ferries join our Clyde and Hebrides fleet. These new vessels will serve key routes across the network from Mull and Skye to the Kintyre peninsula. They will replace a variety of older small vessels with a standard design which will reduce emissions and improve reliability and interoperability. The contract was awarded in March 2025, steel cutting of the first vessel took place in September 2025, and the first vessel is expected to enter service in 2027 with all seven set to be delivered and in service by 2029. Further new vessel and major ferry infrastructure projects are also being progressed.

Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) Contract Consultation

The public consultation on the next iteration of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract (NIFS4) ran for 13 weeks until 20 October 2025, receiving 1130 Reponses via the consultation platform, and 28 responses via email.

The online consultation invited island communities, businesses and stakeholders who use the service to submit their views and help shape the development of the specification for the next generation of the contract.

A series of public engagement sessions took place in Orkney and Shetland earlier in the year where an additional 345 comments were logged and added to the consultation responses for inclusion in the analytical report. A dedicated NIFS 4 webpage has been launched to provide updates on the contract’s development which is due to commence on 30 June 2028.

New Freight Ferries for the Northern Isles

The procurement of two new freight ferries to help support island communities and improve the resilience of the Northern Isles network is progressing to Invite to Tender.

The first stage of the competitive tender process assessed shipyards interested in bidding for the contract against specific criteria including facilities, capacities and capabilities to take on the project. Four yards have been selected to progress to Invite to Tender stage, these are: Cemre (Turkey), GSI (China), Stena UK alongside reliance partner CMJL (Weihai), and Tersan (Turkey).

The two new freight flex vessels will serve the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route. The estimated cost is around £200 million, covering both vessels, CMAL and other projects costs, and shore power upgrades. Tender returns are expected by late November 2025, with a view to awarding the contract in February 2026.

Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) Agreements

Transport Scotland and CalMac Ferries Limited have signed relevant agreements to bring the operation of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services under full public control, marking a key milestone in the delivery of ferry services for Scotland’s island and rural communities.

Commencing on 1 October 2025, the new arrangements will see almost £4 billion of public funding invested in the Clyde and Hebrides service over a 10-year period, with the delivery of these services continuing to evolve to better reflect local needs for more reliable and robust ferry links.

Mallaig Overnight Berth

The Scottish Government has committed £6.4 million in capital grant funding to Mallaig Harbour Authority for a new dedicated overnight ferry berth. Construction of the overnight berth proposal commenced in Autumn 2025 and will improve the resilience and reliability of lifeline ferry services sailing from Mallaig to Lochboisdale, Armadale and the Small Isles.

Local Authority Bus in-house Operation

Scottish Borders Council has further expanded its in-house bus services, taking on a further 6 local bus service routes. This was a result of a commercial operator being unable to extend their contracts. Dumfries and Galloway Council are also expanding their in-house bus operations further to the withdrawal of Stagecoach.

MOOVE Flexi Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) platform has continued to onboard new operators including West Coast Motors WestGo service and several Community Transport projects in Orkney and Highland. Discussions have also taken place about onboarding Highland Council in-house bus operations and the potential to support other Council areas elsewhere in Scotland in accessing the digital solution for existing and planned DRT services.

Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy

At its meeting of 19 September 2025, SPT’s Partnership board unanimously approved the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy (SRBS) and action plan, including development of bus franchising across the region.

The Strategy also includes actions to develop bus infrastructure, traffic management, and wider policies to support bus. Following the public consultation earlier in the year, 83% of respondents supported the view that SPT should take forward plans for bus franchising with 5% opposing such plans.

Now that the Partnership has approved the final Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy, SPT will work up a costed programme and timeline to deliver a Franchise Framework Assessment as required by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019). This programme will be presented to the Partnership in December 2025.

Buchanan Bus Station Masterplan

SPT is leading the development of a Masterplan for Buchanan Bus Station, Scotland’s biggest and busiest bus station, working closely with Glasgow City Council, with support from AtkinsRéalis and New Practice.

The long-term vision is for the area to become a vibrant new gateway to Glasgow, fully integrated in the local area, with a modern bus station at its heart. Following public and stakeholder engagement at the end of 2024 a range of options were developed and assessed, and a masterplan design was identified to achieve the vision. 

Over November 2025, public and stakeholder engagement will take place to get feedback on SPT’s proposals for the site. Engagement includes the launch of a project website, an exhibition stand in the bus station, social media advertising, and leafletting of bus station users and local businesses, directing people to an online survey. Stakeholder sessions with local businesses and residents will be taking place alongside the survey. 

Further project information can be found on the project web site www.spt.co.uk/bbs-vision. 

Progress of Ardrossan Harbour Acquisition

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) is actively negotiating a ‘Heads of Terms’ agreement with the owner of Ardrossan Harbour, Peel Ports Group.

As the lifeline ferries and ports asset owner, CMAL had been formally authorised to engage with Peel Ports Group on the potential for a change of ownership by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport earlier this year. Negotiations have now entered Heads of Terms for formal purchase discussion. Both CMAL and Peel Ports Group have constructively engaged in negotiations to date and have recently exchanged key principles on a Heads of Terms agreement.

This follows a review of the Ardrossan Harbour project in late 2024. Key points now being discussed include, the condition of physical assets, leases, access rights, and the process for transfer of Statutory Harbour Authority responsibilities.

A large part of the site has not been openly transacted since the late 19th Century and achieving a clean title in any transfer of ownership is essential to future ferry operations. Scottish Government funding is allocated within the 2025-26 budget to facilitate the acquisition of the harbour, noting that any expenditure is subject to detailed legal, commercial and financial due diligence.

RTP collaboration and achievements

The Tayside and Central Scotland Regional Transport Strategy 2024-34 recognises that the achievement of national and regional aspirations requires the targeting of activity on key groups/locations. Tactran are working with local partners to explore how best to co-ordinate activity on those key target groups, as well as exploring collaboration opportunities to ensure limited resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible.

In October 2025 HITRANS were Highly Commended for the third successive year in the John Prescott Regional Transport Authority of the Year at the UK wide National Transport Awards.

Section 4: Improves our Health and Wellbeing

Active and Sustainable Travel

Scotland’s seven RTPs will share £23.45 million of Scottish Government funding for programmes which help make walking, wheeling and cycling the safe and easy choice for short everyday journeys.

The funding will be used to support projects that make active travel and sustainable travel easier across four key themes: Active Schools; Active Workplaces; Accessibility and Inclusion; and Capacity and Capability. It will support the development of active travel strategies and plans, the installation of supporting infrastructure and the creation of safe school routes to tackle congestion, reduce air pollution and make local communities and roads safer.

For 2025-26, the second year of the programme is expanding to include sustainable travel projects, such as Demand Responsive Transport buses, access to shared cycle and car schemes, and sustainable travel hubs which make it easier to move quickly between different types of greener transport.

People and Place

Following direct funding awarded through Transport Scotland’s People and Place programme, all seven RTPs have completed and published their Year 1 evaluation reports. These reports highlight significant progress across a range of initiatives.

Among the key achievements, the HITRANS Hi-Bike system has expanded to include Elgin, with new docking stations now operational in Inverness and Fort William, including a location at Raigmore Hospital. Tactran has introduced a Social Return on Investment process designed to inform and strengthen the People and Place programme. SPT has launched its Community Fund to support local projects, while efforts to develop community anchor organisations have advanced across the programme area.

Road Safety Investment

A record level of investment has been secured for road safety in 2025/26 of £48 million (a 33% increase on the previous year). This funding comprises of the following;

• £12.25 million for low-cost engineering measures and 20 mph delivery on trunk roads.
• £12.25 million Road Safety Improvement Fund for local authority to enhance local road safety.
• £7.5 million to support local authorities deliver 20 mph limits on appropriate roads by end of 2025/26.
• £7.7 million to continue to deliver targeted safety cameras deployments. We are also advancing the use of technology to tackle driver distraction.
• £5.8 million to deliver a series of national driver behaviour change campaigns. This includes fatigue, foreign drivers and drink & drug driving.
• £2.5 million to deliver outcomes from the National Speed Management Review.

Health and Transport

With a longstanding Health and Transport Action Plan (HTAP) led by Nestrans in the North East / NHS Grampian region, HITRANS has also made significant progress on the development of an HTAP for the Highlands and Islands that is intended to be delivered in partnership with ZetTrans to extend coverage across all the Highlands and Islands NHS Board areas.