Issue 48 July 2010 www.stsg.org ISSN 1462-8708 An independent publication by WHAT’S INSIDE: Ferries Review Better Value Transport Investment Transport and Land use Practical Road Charging Research Update 2 CONTENTS The Scottish Transport Contents Studies group (STSg) MiNd ThE FuNdiNg gap 3 Smarter approaches are needed for Scottish transport to become more sustainable. STR is the newsletter of the Scottish Transport Studies Group (STSG) and is largely funded from STSG membership subscriptions. STSG was formed in 1984 FErries ReviEw and now has corporate and individual members from transport operators, industry, national government, local Lessons From innovaTivE cost-effiCient private government, universities, and consultants. ferry OpEraTions 3-5 Alfred Baird and Roy Pedersen show that private operators can bring new approaches to Scot- The aims of STSG are “to stimulate interest in, and tish ferry operation. awareness of, the transport function and its importance for the Scottish economy and society: to encourage contacts PentlaNd HerO 4 between operators, public bodies, users, academia and STR reviews Roy Pedersen’s book about the development of a new short sea crossing from the other organisations and individuals with interests in mainland to Orkney. transport in a Scottish context; to issue publications and organise conferences and seminars related to transport ThE NaTionaL FErries ReviEw 6-8 policy and research”. STSG is a charity registered in A major review has been undertaken of Scotland’s ferry network and STR includes selected ed- Scotland number SCO14720. its from the reports published in June 2010. The review identifies the need for further debate published by LBd • www.lbd.uk.net on the way forward. Tel. 0131 665 3326 LaNd use aNd TranspOrT who decides what The Scottish Parliament transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee has pub- goes in STr? lished an inquiry which challenges silo thinking in Scottish transport and planning. 9-10 Firstly the members of STSG - We rely on STSG NEwS aNd researCh members and others telling us about interesting studies they have completed or knowledge they have. NEwS update 11-12 To keep subscriptions low we need members to invest Some of the public debate about Scottish transport in recent months from the newspapers time to share their knowledge. STSG has some funds to commission some analysis and reporting but the editorial work is undertaken voluntarily. ResearCh aNd InnovaTion update Secondly the Editor Derek Halden, assisted by the practiCaL Road priCiNg to Close ThE FuNdiNg gap? 13 STSG Committee tries to fit the contributions into 16 The Social Market Foundation has published research suggesting that more transparent own- pages and create a readable document. ership of the road network by taxpayers would make road pricing a publicly acceptable policy. If you can contribute to STR please e-mail [email protected] UndErstaNdiNg why Some People Do Not Use Buses 14 Fiona Dobbie, Susan McConville and Rachel Ormston of the Scotcen suggest that the bus industry has a lot of work to do to avoid people having negative experiences and to promote the improvements which have been made to services. Subscribe to STSg EurOpEaN TranspOrT Conference comes to GlaSgOw 15 Tom van Vuren, Chairman of the Association for European Transport explains that there is something for everyone at the 2010 European Transport Conference. watt Car 15 WWF Scotland suggest that electric vehicle sales will need to achieve 20% of new car sales by 2020 if Scotland is to meet emission reduction targets. adOpT a STaTion 15 John Yellowlees of First ScotRail explains how Bridge of Allan residents celebrate 25 years of their ‘new’ station. Just as the new station started a programme of re-openings 25 years ago the residents are trailblazing greater community involvement with station through First ScotRail’s adopt a station programme. Ensure you receive Scottish Better vaLuE TranspOrT Investment 16 Transport review regularly Delivering more bang for buck in transport spending will help transport to make a stronger case for public investment. From £40 annually see www.stsg.org or e-mail [email protected] FErriES rEviEw 3 Closing the Spending gap Derek Halden, STR Editor There is the old adage that if it is not to deliver much more bang for buck by making We do not know how better informed sustainable it will not be sustained. The smarter choices. The growing consensus on these people and businesses will behave but definition of sustainable development came ideas shows that more sustainable approaches: sustainability is a choice for everyone, not under scrutiny at the Scottish Parliament • Tackle the information market failure that just government. If the choices of some transport and climate change committee leads to less than optimal citizen, consumer people are having adverse effects on the inquiry into land use and transport. Quite a lot and business decisions. Marketing of choices of others then there is a clear case for of things in transport are not being sustained, transport lags other industries. government action and resolving debates to but the evidence shows that in some cases the • Create incentives and provide training reflect the wishes of local citizens requires process of failure takes many years and wastes so that professionals can make better that the most difficult decisions must be many £ billions. Learning to use the best decisions that look beyond single sectors made locally. available knowledge to inform decisions from and narrow cultures to recognise wider personal travel choices to national policies will social, economic and environmental needs. Cash strapped local authorities need to be unlock sustainable development solutions. • Monitor and enforce regulations so that supported by effective partnerships with those that comply with best practice do national government and with private What is clear is that the current level of public better than those that don’t. This can be industry including bus companies. Success spending cannot be sustained and the STSG as simple as First ScotRail finding that they in defining and delivering sustainable occasional paper on getting better value from could increase revenue by collecting more development depends on how successful we transport spending suggests a number ways to fares, or as complicated as enforcing travel become in developing the partnerships for tackle this. This suggests that there is potential plans for new land use developments. the future. Lessons from innovative cost-efficient private ferry operations Alfred Baird and Roy Pedersen InTRoDucTIon Ferries are a vital part of everyday life for many a year. This includes the operating subsidy Altogether, on current trends, ferry operating people in Scotland. A required outcome of the necessary to keep publicly-owned CalMac, subsidy plus capital expenditure combined will Scottish Government’s National Performance NorthLink, plus inter-island services in Orkney amount to some £3.0 billion over the next 10- Framework is to enable us to “live in sustainable and Shetland and elsewhere in Scotland ‘afloat’. 15 years. Given the current economic climate places with access to amenities and services we it seems highly unlikely that the public sector need”. To achieve this, in terms of ferry services Over the next 10 years we might say the public will be able to afford anywhere near such an to and from island and remote mainland sector therefore needs to find between £1.0-1.5 amount, unless other vital services were to communities, four inter-related aims may be billion just to maintain the present operating be trimmed. This means that alternative ways identified: subsidy levels for ferries. That will be a very of delivering ferry services have to be found, • Develop sustainable growing socially hard task in the current public sector financial and fast. Continued large-scale public funding cohesive communities through good access environment. of ferry services is simply not sustainable. The to mainland services and markets, e.g. status quo is not an option. tourism There are also major ongoing capital • Support economic development through requirements related to ferry services – i.e. EconomIc DEvEloPmEnT AnD entrepreneurship ships and harbours. The one hundred or so EnTREPREnEuRSHIP • Work towards Scotland’s environmental ferries operating in Scotland today have an Achieving community sustainability and a targets average age exceeding 20 years, with their growing population implies development • Contain public expenditure designed operating lifetime of about 30 years. of confidence of business on the one hand, This basically means that we need to replace preferably Scottish business, to invest in the almost 100 ferries over the next 10-15 years. local economy, and on the other hand of the SustainABlE communITIES The price for that could be another £1.0 billion, local community to develop a quality of life that Previous Holyrood administrations became or more. encourages people, and families in particular, rather used to dolling out ever more to stay in their locale. taxpayer money for ferry services and related And then there are the harbours, with more infrastructure. This seemed to be considered than 100 ferry piers in Scotland. These need to Two outstanding examples are Western Ferries acceptable so long as public cash was plentiful. be maintained as well as replaced/upgraded in operation between the Cowal Peninsula and But a consequence of this largesse is that ferry some cases. The