Sunday, July 3, 2022
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Guest Post
  • Contact
Tribune Times
  • Home
  • News
    • England
    • Ireland
    • Wales
    • World
  • Brexit
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Military
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Videos

    President Biden announces new gas deal with EU

    BREAKING NEWS! Ammar Zoni & Irish Bella Resmi Umumkan Jenis Kelamin Anak Kedua

    Is Harry Maguire England's best defender? | John Barnes discusses the Three lions squad

    New initiative to encourage speaking Irish in Dublin

    AUSTRALIA STUDENT VISA FUTURE | STUDY VISA UPDATES USA CANADA UK

  • More
    • Entertainment
    • Business
    • Health
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Tribune Times
No Result
View All Result
Home News Scotland

SNP-Greens deal: Review of £3bn A96 dualling ‘demonstrably represents the end’ of full project, say campaigners

Editorial Staff by Editorial Staff
August 20, 2021
in Scotland
A A
0
69
SHARES
312
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Charging motorists for using using roads may be considered to achieve ambitious car use cuts, while the rail line to Fraserburgh and Peterhead could be re-opened.

A leading transport academic described the plans as “genuinely radical”.

Campaigners Transform Scotland said the move away from road building “demonstrably represents the end” of dualling the A96 in full.

Only parts of the A96 will be dualled pending a review of its environmental impact. Picture: Transport Scotland

The SNP and Greens parties said they would maintain “distinct positions” on fully dualling the A96, which the Greens oppose and which is due to be completed by 2030 at an estimated cost of £3 billion.

However, they have agreed on a “transparent, evidence-based review to include a climate compatibility assessment to assess direct and indirect impacts on the climate and the environment” by the end of 2022.

Parts of the scheme will go ahead, including the Inverness-Nairn section and bypasses of Nairn, Elgin, Keith and Inverurie.

Alongside that, planned extra public transport upgrades along the route include further improvements to the Inverness-Aberdeen rail line “to make it more competitive to road” and bus priority measures on the A96.

Feasibility work will examine the re-opening of a rail line between Dyce and Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh and a possible “mass rapid transport system” for the region.

The deal includes work on trunk road projects under construction continuing, suggesting the £3 billion A9 dualling between Inverness and Perth, which the Greens also oppose, has escaped the axe.

However, the agreement also stated: “We agree that in the face of the climate emergency we need to shift away from spending money on new road projects that encourage more people to drive, and instead focus our money and effort on maintaining roads, improving safety and providing a realistic and affordable alternative through investing in public transport and active travel.

“New roads projects will normally only be taken forward where they reduce the maintenance backlog; address road safety concerns or adapt the network to deal with the impacts of climate change or benefit communities such as bypassing settlements.”

The deal confirms the SNP’s target of cutting car use by 20 per cent by 2030 but “demand management options” will be assessed to help achieve this.

That suggests some form of what was previously termed road tolls or congestion charging might be considered “to encourage the use of active travel and public transport as an alternative to cars”.

20mph speed limts on “all appropriate roads in built-up areas” within four years, with a task group to plan “the most effective route to implementation”.

The pledge follows the defeat of a Greens’ bill in 2019 to make 20mph the default limit in urban areas across Scotland.

The agreement puts a date on the SNP’s pledge to increase spending on active travel – walking, cycling and wheeling from 3 to 10 per cent of the transport budget.

It will rise form £115m a year to at least £320m by 2024-25.

Other agreed measures include:

– A “fair fares review” will be launched to “ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares” in the face of rising fares while the cost of car travel is falling.

– A pilot project will test witnesses being able to upload footage of dangerous driving to Police Scotland, which had been urged by campaigners Cycling UK and whose success elsewhere in the UK was referred to in the Scottish Government’s latest road safety strategy.

– Funding support for new buses may require them to have spaces for bikes as well as wheelchairs and pushchairs.

– A new community bus fund will be introduced to improve local transport.

– How Scotland’s ferries are run will be assessed to ensure “good outcomes for communities, value for money, accountability and transparency”.

– Renewed moves to devolve more powers over the railways to Scotland, which could clash with the UK Government’s plans to establish a single “Great British Railways” system.

Sustainable transport campaigners Transform Scotland said the “modest scaling back” of road building was long overdue.

Director Colin Howden said: “We’re pleased the current set of Scottish ministers are beginning to see the errors of some of the dinosaurs that preceded them.

“There’s certainly no case on climate change grounds for dualling the whole of the A96, so this demonstrably represents the end of that project.

“Even with a reduced spend on the A96, the Government’s transport capital investment plans still remain heavily skewed towards high-carbon infrastructure.”

Scotland’s leading transport academic, Professor Iain Docherty of Stirling University, said: “Transport policy in Scotland has been moving away from accommodating the car and towards promoting public transport and active travel for some time.

“This agreement accelerates the shift.

“Planning deliberately for a future in which there is less rather than more car travel is genuinely radical and very different from recent statements by the UK Government.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article.

We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven’t already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Source: Scotsman

Related Posts

Scotland

Squid Game-themed climate protest staged outside COP26 venue in Glasgow

November 16, 2021
Scotland

Guitarist in a kilt leads spontaneous dance action outside COP26

November 16, 2021
Scotland

UK holidays: Here are 7 cosy cabins for an autumn getaway

November 13, 2021
Scotland

Delegate’s 2,500-km land trip to COP26 didn’t go well. He’ll fly home

November 12, 2021
Scotland

Scotland is perfect for avoiding crowds while being immersed in nature

November 9, 2021
Scotland

Here are 10 of the best true crime documentaries to watch on Amazon Prime

November 5, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED NEWS

Olympics Protests

Anti-Olympics Protests One Week Before the Event

12 months ago
Monkey B Virus

China Reports Its First Death from the Monkey B Virus

11 months ago
Double vaccinated gets double freedom.

Double vaccinated gets double freedom.

10 months ago
Flood in China's Zhengzhou

Flood in China’s Zhengzhou

8 months ago
Heatwaves warnings!

Heatwaves warnings!

8 months ago
Instagram

Instagram will No Longer be Photo Sharing App: Monetization of Content

7 months ago

You Might also Like

News

PM ‘didn’t know specific claims’ about Chris Pincher before giving him whips job

July 3, 2022
Wales

Schoolboy had to wait two hours for ambulance after being hit by car

July 3, 2022
Health

I’m an aesthetics pro – your HORMONES are to blame for your wobbly bits

July 3, 2022
Money

Costa Coffee is giving away more free drinks TODAY – how to get one

July 3, 2022
Sports

Neville and Carragher in Twitter spat after Ronaldo’s Man Utd transfer request

July 3, 2022
News

Prince Charles’ ‘secretive £1.7m deals with Tory peer’ being investigated

July 3, 2022

VIDEOS

President Biden announces new gas deal with EU

April 3, 2022

BREAKING NEWS! Ammar Zoni & Irish Bella Resmi Umumkan Jenis Kelamin Anak Kedua

April 3, 2022

Is Harry Maguire England's best defender? | John Barnes discusses the Three lions squad

April 3, 2022

New initiative to encourage speaking Irish in Dublin

April 2, 2022

AUSTRALIA STUDENT VISA FUTURE | STUDY VISA UPDATES USA CANADA UK

April 2, 2022

POPULAR NEWS

Plugin Install : Popular Post Widget need JNews - View Counter to be installed

LATEST NEWS

News

Devastated family of boy, 16, stabbed to death say their ‘hearts are broken’

July 3, 2022
News

Hundreds gather at vigil for Zara Aleena who was killed walking home

July 3, 2022
World

Part of Egypt’s Red Sea coast closed after woman killed in shark attack

July 3, 2022
Wales

Live: Wales breaking news plus weather and traffic updates (Sunday, July 3)

July 3, 2022
Health

I’m an anti-ageing expert – this gym hack really will make you live longer

July 3, 2022
Money

British Gas hardship fund opens offering £1,500 FREE for energy bills from TODAY

July 3, 2022
Tribune Times

Tribune Times news portal We offer you the latest local UK news and the most important political and military news..

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • PM ‘didn’t know specific claims’ about Chris Pincher before giving him whips job
  • Schoolboy had to wait two hours for ambulance after being hit by car
  • I’m an aesthetics pro – your HORMONES are to blame for your wobbly bits
  • Costa Coffee is giving away more free drinks TODAY – how to get one
  • Neville and Carragher in Twitter spat after Ronaldo’s Man Utd transfer request

Category

  • Africa
  • Belarus
  • Brexit
  • Business
  • Criminals
  • Energy
  • England
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Health
  • Ireland
  • Lockdown
  • Military
  • Money
  • Monkey B Virus
  • News
  • Nigeria
  • Olympics Protests
  • Politics
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Scotland
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccinated
  • Videos
  • Vulnerable Children
  • Wales
  • Warnings
  • Wimbledon
  • World
  • Zambia
  • Zhengzhou

Recent News

Schoolboy had to wait two hours for ambulance after being hit by car

July 3, 2022

I’m an aesthetics pro – your HORMONES are to blame for your wobbly bits

July 3, 2022

Costa Coffee is giving away more free drinks TODAY – how to get one

July 3, 2022
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Guest Post
  • Contact

© 2021 Tribune Times - Developed By Sawah Web.
Partner Publications : News Parliament - Global Crisis News - Government Law Organisation - EU Think Tank.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • England
    • Ireland
    • Wales
    • World
  • Brexit
  • Money
  • Business
  • Military
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Videos

© 2021 Tribune Times - Developed By Sawah Web.
Partner Publications : News Parliament - Global Crisis News - Government Law Organisation - EU Think Tank.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In