Publication: Sustainable transport

by Auditor General, Accounts Commission

In 2020, the Scottish Government set an ambitious but very challenging target to reduce car kilometres driven by 20 per cent by 2030

This data output allows you to get more local information about efforts to reduce car use and to illustrate some of the challenges in achieving the target.

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It normally takes longer to reach services by public transport than by car, especially in rural areas

This map shows you the travel time to GP, post office or retail centre by car or by public transport at a datazone level. Enter your postcode or town name to see the journey times by car and public transport to key services in your area. The darker the colour the longer the journey time.

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2020

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Travel times in the SIMD 2020 are based on 2018 data. Public Transport journey times were calculated as an average of four journeys on a Tuesday. The journey times shown in the map may be different to those experienced in reality due to averaging within the SIMD and changes to locations or public transport timetables. More information on how the travel times were calculated is in the SIMD technical note.

Car use has rebounded since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is unlikely that the Scottish Government will achieve its target of reducing car kilometres driven by 20 per cent by 2030

The graph shows road traffic data for cars and taxis on major and minor roads in Scotland between 1995 and 2023, and the level of traffic needed to meet the 20 per cent target.

Scotland annual car kilometres, 1995 to 2023

Source: Road Traffic Statistics, Department for Transport

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The Department for Transport releases this information in miles travelled. This information has been converted into kilometres travelled to align with the Scottish Government’s reporting approach.

All councils in Scotland have seen an increase in car kilometres driven

This graph shows the traffic at a council level since 1995, you can select the council you are interested in on the left-hand side.

The routemap does not expect every area in Scotland to reduce car kilometres travelled by 20 per cent by 2030, nor does it expect every individual to reduce their personal mileage by the same amount.

Local authority car kilometres, 1995 to 2023

Source: Road Traffic Statistics, Department for Transport

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These figures are from the Department for Transport (DfT) and published annually. The graph above provides road traffic data for cars and taxis on all roads, including trunk roads, across all council areas between 1995 and 2023. The DfT reports miles travelled and so we have converted them to kilometres to match the Scottish Government’s commitment. The DfT uses a variety of methods to estimate traffic levels. Estimates for small areas or individual road links are less robust than its national statistics as they are not always based on up-to-date counts.

Large cities have proportionately more households with no cars, while rural council areas have proportionately more multiple car households

The graph shows car ownership by council, you can use the key to compare different levels of car ownership.

Household car ownership by local authority, 2023

Source: Transport and Travel in Scotland 2023

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Publication cover: Sustainable transport
Main report
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Easy read summary
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News release
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Images

Domestic transport makes up the largest share of Scotland’s emissions
Exhibit 1
Although budget allocations for active travel and sustainable transport have increased since 2019/20, the actual amounts spent have reduced
Exhibit 2
Budget allocations for concessionary travel have increased by 46 per cent following the introduction of free bus travel for under-22s while bus operator grants peaked during the pandemic.
Exhibit 3
Car traffic levels are increasing to pre-pandemic levels.
Exhibit 4
The Scottish Government has only met its emission reduction estimates for domestic transport once in the last three years.
Exhibit 5
There is no evidence of a significant and sustained shift away from car use to walking and cycling or public transport.
Exhibit 6
Bus and rail passenger journeys have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Exhibit 7
There are several ways of discouraging car use, with varying costs to drivers. The Scottish Government and councils need to decide which are the most effective for their area or the country.
Exhibit 8