http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Programme for Government en Mon, 18 May 2026 06:24:48 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-230159 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 11:28:27 +0000 I were right about that saddle 230159@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/08/flooding-uk-government-plans-for-more-extreme-rainfall">Good job it'll be cheaper to jet off to sunnier climes!</a></p> <p>APD reference. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-230061 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 12:15:20 +0000 crowriver 230061@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Nothing that hasn't been committed to since 2014 as far as I can see?"</p> <p>That's also true of most of the trunk roads/motorway schemes. Though they do seem to have slipped a few more road 'improvements' in there. </p> <p>AFAIK all of these projects were in the capital investment 'pipeline' set out as long ago as 2011, governments and ministers have come and gone since then. </p> <p>Doubtless someone will be along to correct me in a moment... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-230042 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 10:16:11 +0000 chdot 230042@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>Walking &amp; Cycling given clear backing by @scotgov Programme for Government today gov.scot/programme2016 #sustrans </p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/john_lauder/status/773182688928927744" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/john_lauder/status/773182688928927744</a></p> <p>"</p> <p>"</p> <p>Only SNP failed to promise higher cycling cash --&gt;spokes.org.uk/2016/03/holyro… @John_Lauder @walkcyclevote @CyclingEdin</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/773438889222602753" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/773438889222602753</a></p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-230000 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 05:11:25 +0000 PS 230000@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>In fairness, there are some rail improvements detailed too:<br /> </em></p> <p>Nothing that hasn't been committed to since 2014 as far as I can see? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229922 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 16:33:54 +0000 I were right about that saddle 229922@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>the SG is citing Brexit as a reason for reducing APD</em></p> <p>I'd best avoid reading that. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229915 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 16:00:22 +0000 crowriver 229915@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Incredibly, the SG is citing Brexit as a reason for reducing APD"</p> <p>Any excuse will do. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229912 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:34:46 +0000 Morningsider 229912@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>IWRATS - I suppose, as long as we get more tarmac and less Niceway Code.</p> <p>Incredibly, the SG is citing Brexit as a reason for reducing APD - because all those Europeans tycoons base their investment decisions on a fiver off a flight. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229910 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:32:39 +0000 crowriver 229910@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In the "low carbon transport" section:</p> <p>"We will continue to support the creation of walking and cycling infrastructure, developing a people- centred approach to place. "</p> <p>Which people would they be? Low carbon people? Local people? I think we should be told! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229909 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:29:53 +0000 crowriver 229909@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In fairness, there are some rail improvements detailed too:</p> <p>"In 2016-17 we will continue to deliver a range of network improvement works through key rail projects, including the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme, the Aberdeen to Inverness line, the Highland Main Line, Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa Electrification and the redevelopment of Dundee Station. Milestones in the coming year include:<br /> • Edinburgh Gateway Rail/Tram interchange open to passengers from December 2016<br /> • Electrification of Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk High line to be completed by July 2017, enabling services to be operated by a new fleet of faster, longer trains" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229908 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:26:50 +0000 crowriver 229908@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>p.37 made me chuckle:</p> <p>"Our role, as set out in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan on how we are meeting our climate change targets, will be to promote strategies to:<br /> • reduce demand for transport<br /> • facilitate modal shift to more sustainable forms<br /> • decarbonise vehicles<br /> • make the transport network as efficient<br /> as possible"</p> <p>Hmm. Not sure how these objectives squares with building new dual carriageways, new motorways, and upgrading existing motorways? How is that reducing demand or decarbonising?</p> <p>Maybe what they mean is reducing demand for all transport except motor vehicles? Which will, at some future date be decarbonised.</p> <p>On the exact same page, this climate change action apparently takes the following forms:</p> <p>"n alignment with the National Planning Framework to enable a comprehensive review of national infrastructure priorities. Progress on key road improvements, including improvements to the A77 south of Girvan, linking to the Cairnryan Ferry<br /> hub and the A75 and improvements to connect Dumfries and the M74, will be considered as part this review. "</p> <p>Further down the page: "We will examine the case for an extension of the [Borders] railway along with improvements to the A1, A7, and A68 with a study to identify Borders transport requirements reporting by the end of 2017."</p> <p>Overleaf on p.33, we learn:</p> <p>"The substantial programme of investment in road improvements and maintenance will continue<br /> in the coming year. £1.4 billion of investment in the road network will include work to dual the A9 and A96. The programme also includes the new Forth Bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, which is expected to be fully open to traffic by May 2017 and is the biggest transport infrastructure project in Scotland for a generation. "</p> <p>"The M8 M73 M74 motorway improvements project will be complete by spring 2017 and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty project will be open to traffic in winter 2017."</p> <p>Scottish Government transport strategy in a nutshell:</p> <p>VVVRRRROOOOMMM! Beep beep! Get out of my way! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229905 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:00:57 +0000 I were right about that saddle 229905@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Morningsider</p> <p>Well it's good to know we're not officially headed backwards.</p> <p>I expect the effects of the grubby fiddling of APD to be dwarfed by the horrors/joys of Brexit, don't you? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16831#post-229903 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 14:56:16 +0000 Morningsider 229903@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The new Programme for Government has just been published. Cycling does feature, including commitments to "...maintain record levels of investment in cycling and walking for the duration of this Parliamentary term and publish a third iteration of the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland by the end of the year, setting out actions to meet the vision of 10% of everyday journeys being by bike by 2020."</p> <p>Saying something will happen is not the same as making it happen - claiming that a revised plan will produce a seven-fold increase in cycling in three years is clearly ridiculous.</p> <p>Still, good to know the country can afford to lose about £125m a year through reductions in air passenger duty.</p> <p>More: <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505210.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505210.pdf</a> </p>