NTS Team Date: 24 October 2019 Transport 5th Floor Buchanan House 58 Port Dundas Road Glasgow G4 0HF

Dear NTS Team,

Ref.: National Transport Strategy Review 2

Please accept this letter as my submission to the National Transport Strategy 2 review.

My comments are based on two main drivers, firstly, my and constituency and secondly, accessibility. I chair the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group (CPG) on Visual Impairment and am the Deputy Convener of the CPG’s on Disability and Dyslexia. However, other factors including tourism, the environment, active travel, and access to health facilities have also influenced my contribution.

I appreciate that developing a strategy that delivers for all of Scotland and its people is challenging, but it is important. Much of my time, and that of my staff, is concerned with transport issues, namely the trunk road network. The topography of my constituency provides unenviable challenges for public authorities with most of the dwellings on the side of hills with the River Clyde at the bottom. As such, flooding issues over many decades have been well documented and problematic. Furthermore, these flooding issues have a detrimental effect upon my constituents, local businesses and visitors – inevitably impacting Inverclyde’s economy.

Public authorities over many decades have failed Inverclyde when it has come to planning, public infrastructure and the consideration of flooding. A prime example of this is the recently completed ‘Water Catchment Study’ led by Scottish Water with vast engagement from other agencies including Inverclyde Council and Transport Scotland. It saddens me that past record keeping of the underground infrastructure was shabby at best and incomplete at its worst. This will have led to a shortage of maintenance and thus adversely affecting my constituents going about their daily business, as well as the effects on local businesses and the economy. Notwithstanding, this situation is now improving and since I started campaigning on this issue, a flood prevention plan and relevant measures have been put in place.

My constituency has two trunk roads running through it (A8 and A78) as well as two railway lines ( and Gourock). This I hope provides an indication as to how crucial transport matters are and why I spend so much time dealing with these issues.

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Since the early 1980s, Inverclyde’s population has declined markedly. It once had some 120,000 people living here but now has a population of under 80,000. Depopulation is continuing and is challenging to deal with. The local authority, in their Local Development Plan, would like over 5000 new homes to be constructed to help stem depopulation. Although I agree with many of the proposals, I disagree with some of the large-scale suggestions including over 600 properties on the site of the former Inverkip Power Station. This lies adjacent to the A78, which is already congested at peak times. Furthermore, with the increase in traffic signalling measures across Inverclyde, it can already take longer to travel from Wemyss Bay to as compared to Port Glasgow to Glasgow. Further developments, without proper consideration on transport infrastructure, will be a disaster for my constituency. This is why the following quote from the Consultation document is crucial:

“When planning decisions are made, they need to have the consideration of the impacts on transport as a priority. In identifying sites for development of housing, employment, schools and hospitals transport considerations need to play a crucial role and need to do so as early as possible. This includes designing places to reflect where people will be travelling to and from.” (Pgs 37 and 38)

One other crucial factor in my thinking is the ageing population, as indicated in the consultation document. Inverclyde, in addition to witnessing the largest depopulation percentage in Scotland, has a growing older population. The over 75s age category is forecast to increase by over 23% according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS) with the younger category forecast to decline by over 7%. Having sustainable and affordable travel to health centres and hospitals is vital. With some health service specialisms centralised outside of Inverclyde, the transport links to these facilities becomes even more crucial.

I believe that increased rail connectivity between Inverclyde and Glasgow will remove some of the road traffic. Increased road traffic from the new development at Bishopton as well as the logjam at the Hillington roundabout will make it even more vital that rail links are suitable. An additional service between Wemyss Bay and Glasgow will help hugely. I appreciate capacity issues at exist but if the housing developments at Spango Valley (former IBM site) and Inverkip Power Station site do proceed, then my suggestion for a park and ride facility at Spango Valley can help increase the demand for a second service. This in turn can help any business case for increased development at Glasgow Central Station.

Future residents in Spango Valley will have easy access to the train station (IBM Halt at Spango Valley). Future Power Station residents will require a short drive/bus journey to the now proposed park and ride. At present, I am however less convinced these residents will do this in great numbers unless a second rail service per hour is introduced on the line. However, added congestion at Bishopton as well as Hillington may force this change.

The park and ride can also help bus and active travel for both local and longer distance journeys. This will improve air quality, travel journey times and the experience for passengers. The recent announcement of the £500m fund as part of the Scottish Green Deal can play a vital part in helping local infrastructure projects in my constituency – therefore contributing towards the national strategy aims and climate targets. In addition, with a growing focus on local active travel projects, the local tourism sector could look to benefit from such a facility.

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I welcome the investment from local and national transport providers that has taken place in recent years and appreciate this is an ongoing challenge. However, training to inform transport staff as well as providing improved audio messages on trains and buses to inform blind and visually impaired passengers about their journey is required. The latter is something that was a norm on all forms of public transport when I studied in Dortmund, Germany in 1995, yet we still lag behind. Training is a perpetual issue that all organisations need to consider and deliver, particularly if there has been a turnover of staff.

I realise that for some areas, the building of more roads is not appropriate or wanted. However, there will be some new or improved roads that can be delivered to help daily traffic as well as support multi modal use. I would support each being considered on an individual basis with attention paid to their own merits and failings, but the rejection of new roads carte blanche is not an option I can support.

I want to see additional strategic road infrastructure in Inverclyde to assist with flood alleviation to prevent Inverclyde being cut off when severe flooding occurs. Furthermore, when the area is cut off, transport tends to grind to a halt affecting every resident. This cannot continue in perpetuity.

The reduction in usage of both petrol and diesel vehicles is crucial to a cleaner environment. A challenge, which will need to be addressed, is both cheaper electric vehicles and more charging points. The latter is a work in progress, which I welcome, but the former still needs the full buy in from vehicle manufacturers. I don’t expect governments, of any colour, to pick up the tab to subsidise personal vehicles, however, if the schemes are available for bicycles, buses and rail then I can accept them being available for vehicles also. Government subsidy does help but an overarching increase in supply and demand of electric vehicles will reduce their price.

My final point is regarding ferries. I have two public sector ports and one private sector port in my constituency, as well as a shipbuilder and a ship repair company. The challenge for a large- scale ferry replacement strategy of the public sector ferries is well documented. Up to now, the majority of the vessels have been bespoke for routes. However, if standardised designs are drawn up, altered mainly by scale, then this may aid both the manufacture of the vessels as well as their suitability for multiple routes when required. This may also therefore require further investment in the ports and harbours they cover.

I trust this submission will be accepted and I look forward to further progress on our national transport infrastructure.

Yours sincerely

Stuart McMillan MSP