SCOTLAND’s second National Transport Strategy (NTS2), which is expected to be published later this year, will come under the spotlight at a major event in Glasgow next month.
The seminar, Developing Scotland’s National Transport Strategy – investment, connectivity and wellbeing, will give stakeholders a chance to engage with representatives from the Scottish Government, the office of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner, Transport Scotland and others.
NTS2 is Transport Scotland’s vision for reforming the transport system, and the conference will examine key infrastructure projects, against a background of planning, delivery and supporting sustainable economic growth.
Priorities for improvement across rural and urban Scotland will be scrutinised, along with improving health and promoting social inclusion through transport, access, urban design and reducing pollution in Scotland’s towns and cities.
Delegates will also assess priorities for national investment in transport and for Scotland’s strategic infrastructure.
MSPs Jamie Greene and Richard Lyle will chair the event, which comes as work gets under way on the second Strategic Transport Projects Review that will consider future investment in all modes of transport, including road and rail.
Glasgow’s Connectivity Commission has recommended creating a city-wide metro system and the City of Edinburgh Council has completed a consultation on a proposed strategy for transformation of the city centre, which includes proposals for a network of car-free streets, a walking and cycling bridge and a free city centre hopper bus. The Scottish Government considers the proposals from both cities as part of the National Transport Strategy attempting to balance the needs of all communities.
Delegates will also consider how best to tackle challenges related to equality of access to transport and ensuring social inclusion, following the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s Transport and Poverty in Scotland report.
This recommended consideration of a “minimum transport standard”, reviewing accountability, and prioritising poverty reduction when exploring use of new technology.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The National Transport Strategy will set out our vision for the next two decades.
“It details how the transport system will protect our climate and improve peoples’ lives and is underpinned by the four key themes of promoting equality, taking climate action, helping our economy prosper and improving our health and wellbeing.
“The strategy will be going out to consultation later this month and we are looking forward to people getting involved in the conversation and letting us know what they think about the policies. We have undertaken a huge exercise to make sure that as many interested parties as possible have contributed to the development of the strategy with more than 3000 stakeholders giving their views.”
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