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Scotsman
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
How transport will boost Scotland's GDP - and is changing under a SNP Government
Since becoming Cabinet Secretary for Transport, seeing first hand the impact transport has on the people of Scotland has been revelatory. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I am delighted to welcome the publication of the Value of Transport report, a detailed report that highlights the impact transport has on the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of the nation. Sometimes without realising, modern life is underpinned by transport. Going to work, getting to school, accessing public services, buying goods and services in person and online - every aspect of peoples lives depends on the ability as a nation to move people, goods and services around Scotland and beyond. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One of the first events I attended as Cabinet Secretary was the opening of the Levenmouth rail line and I was fascinated to hear about the ways in which that particular project was shaped by the people of the area in a way that met their needs across bus and active travel as well as rail. Riders cross he Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth during the men's Elite Road Race at the Cycling World Championships in Edinburgh in 2023. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images Scotland has seen a number of achievements and successes relating to transport in recent years, including the Queensferry Crossing, the new Aberdeen Bypass, and on a smaller scale, the introduction of Low Emission Zones in Scotland's four largest cities; free inter-island ferry travel for young people; meeting all milestones set out in the delivery plan to dual the A9 since the plan was published in December 2023 and the continued success of young people using their free bus travel entitlement as having recently celebrated the 200 million journey milestone. These are just a few examples of the integral role transport plays in Scotland's economy and as a key contributor to growth. Everybody uses some form of transport in all of our economic activity, be it the train so I can attend Parliament in Edinburgh; the bus from the suburbs of Aberdeen to the centre for work or a bicycle to make food deliveries. But it is so much more than that. Scotland's roads, rails and ferries allow us all to do the important things that go beyond earning a living – to visit new places, interact with new people and to visit family and friends. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the same time as producing these social and economic benefits, transport presents both challenges and opportunities for the journey all of us must make towards tackling the climate emergency. Scotland is world leading in its ambitions, its geography and natural resources are a huge competitive advantage. Canals and railways enabled a shift away from an agricultural society to an industrial society during the 18th century and first industrial revolution. In the 21st century, transport will once again be vital to enabling and developing the next shift. Through on and offshore wind infrastructure, the development of new sources of renewables and through the continued development of technology that will help ensure a fair and just transition. Whilst these opportunities are important for the future, I remain firmly focused on the present and this new report sets out in some detail, the value that transport has in real terms. It shows that the sector supports over 150,000 full time equivalent jobs, and almost £10 billion Gross Value Added (GVA). This represents between 6-7% of the total workforce and Scottish GVA. However, the impact of the transport sector is much more central to the economy and to people's lives than this indicates. This report demonstrates how transport can help support businesses, imports and exports, and how transport investments can increase productivity. It also shows how transport policy can be used to address inequalities. For example, the paper highlights a clear gap in access to cars between those in and out of work, as well as the challenges faced by those in Scotland's island communities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Transport, including aviation and shipping, accounts for about a third of total Scottish emissions. It is the largest emitting sector for nine consecutive years. While the cost of decarbonisation is large, it also presents significant economic opportunities – such as battery and vehicle manufacturing as well as unlocking efficiencies within other industries. People may ask 'why does transport matter?'. Transport is not an invisible commodity, transport is truly transformative – individually and collectively – touching on the everyday lives of the people of Scotland; people of all ages and at all times in a way that is arguably more visible than many other areas of government policy. That not only underlines its importance but also highlights the tremendous opportunities ahead. Transport is the beating heart of society and Scotland's economy. It gets people from A to B. It delivers goods to market and to consumers. Keeps people safe. Drives the economy. It underpins the social contract of modern Scotland – free bus passes, heavily subsidised rail travel, a crucial part of tourism, Scotland's biggest employer. If people walk, wheel or cycle or use public transport they play a part in tackling the climate emergency and in turn, can save the NHS millions of pounds too. More change is coming. Climate change. Political change. Global uncertainties. The public mood is changing too. As individuals we can only focus on what we can control ourselves and be aware and responsive. This government's work is not done – there is so much more to do. Transforming the transport system is not without its challenges, but it is something to be proud to look back on and say as a nation, we played our part. For the first time, the Scottish Government is investing over £4 billion in 2025-26 to support the transport network. What does that actually mean? It means keeping families, friends and communities connected – moving goods and services around Scotland and beyond and ensure people can access public services. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Transport alone, as a driver of growth, can increase the nation's Gross Domestic Product. Transport is also crucial for our trade and competitiveness, within Scotland, across the UK and internationally. Improving gateways, such as airports, ports and major transport hubs, to grow existing markets and explore new opportunities. Of course, there cannot be one solution which suits all of Scotland – but by incentivising and encouraging a shift towards sustainable travel and affordable, available and accessible public transport options. Scotland faces unique challenges compared to many other comparable countries. Scottish Government research has identified transport as the most fundamental difference between islanders' and mainland household budgets and the reliance on and resilience of ferry services is a particularly Scottish issue.
The Star
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cycling-Pogacar claims third Liege victory with stunning solo attack
Cycling - UCI World Championships 2024 - Men's Elite Road Race - Zurich, Switzerland - September 29, 2024 Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar in action REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (Reuters) -Tadej Pogacar claimed his third Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory on Sunday after the Slovenian world champion launched a stunning solo attack 34 kilometres from the finish, just as he had last year. Pogacar launched his attack on the climb at the iconic Cote de la Redoute and put some distance between his rivals, eventually finishing the 252km route with a time of six hours and nine seconds. The UAE Team Emirates rider finished 63 seconds ahead of Italian Giulio Ciccone and Ireland's Ben Healy, who completed the podium after a sprint for second place. "It feels great to finish the first part of the season like this. I'm just happy that the whole season so far went perfect," Pogacar said. "It wasn't the plan (to attack on La Redoute), but it was such a hard pace before that I saw a number of teams didn't have a lot of teammates anymore. "I said 'OK, I'll test my legs a little bit and see if I can get a gap on the top' and then I'll decide if I continue or not. Then I just committed because I had good legs, also on the second climb after La Redoute." Last year, Pogacar finished one minute and 39 seconds after a solo attack with 34km remaining. Pogacar now has nine monument victories which puts him joint-third on the all-time list behind only Eddy Merckx (19) and Roger De Vlaeminck (11). The 26-year-old also became the first rider to finish on the podium in six straight Monument races. Another podium at the Giro di Lombardia in October would make him the first man to finish on the podium in all five in the same year. (Reporting by Rohith Nair, Additional reporting by Vincent Daheron;)
