Skip to main content

Language: English / Gàidhlig

Loading…

Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Criathragan Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 4 April 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 2616 contributions

|

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Automated Vehicles Bill

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

So, in theory, clause 50 would grant those powers.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scotland’s Railways

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

I go back to my original question. Is there another option that the Government could take to help, such as subsidising some other form of price support or fare capping for the railways, or was removing peak-time fares the obvious thing to do?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scotland’s Railways

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

I think that that broadly covers matters. Have you had any feedback from passengers who use driver-only operated routes? Have there been particular concerns about antisocial behaviour or feelings of insecurity if no additional staff are on trains to support people?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scotland’s Railways

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

It is about the decarbonisation programme and the objective to decarbonise Scotland’s railways by 2035. Is that on track, given current levels of investment?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scotland’s Railways

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

Okay.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scotland’s Railways

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

A lot of studies have been done through the local rail development fund on the potential for other new stations that could be delivered at a relatively low cost on the existing network. Do you see the business cases building for those as we move forward? Are we any closer to getting decisions despite the Government’s fiscal constraints?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Automated Vehicles Bill

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

Good morning, and thanks for that explanation.

I want to ask about clause 50. My understanding is that there might be certain traffic regulations that the UK Secretary of State for Transport could choose to amend. Could you go into a bit more detail about what the scope of that power might be and what your concerns are, specifically around the nature of those regulations and the changes that may or may not happen in Scotland as a result?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Automated Vehicles Bill

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

It was my question, indeed—you have done well to dine out on it.

The position is clear from my point of view. It is a complex area, and it is a new and emerging technology, but it would be odd to have two sets of rules, effectively: a set of rules for automated vehicles and a set of liabilities and regulations relating to that; and a completely different set of rules for everybody else. It feels like there is the potential for mismatch. I hope that that would never happen, but clause 50 raises the spectre that that might happen, which would be problematic. If that summarises your concerns, along with the real examples that you have just given us, I can understand where the Scottish Government is coming from.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Automated Vehicles Bill

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

Further to that, I was thinking about speed limits. Could there be two tiers on speed limits for automated vehicles and conventional vehicles? In the devolved context in Wales, there is a national speed limit of 20mph in built-up areas. Could automated vehicles be run at different speeds under a different set of rules of the road under clause 50?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Automated Vehicles Bill

Meeting date: 19 March 2024

Mark Ruskell

Okay, I will let that sink in a bit.

I have a final question about the broader policy context. I will play devil’s advocate and say that I see automated vehicles as a bit of a costly distraction. Where do they sit within the Scottish Government’s transport policy? We have major issues with infrastructure investment for conventional bus travel and I know that the Government is working hard to support the bus sector in that. Is bus operators investing in automated bus technology a realistic tangible option right now? Will the cost of redesigning streets and systems to accommodate such vehicles not be astronomical? I am interested in where we are right now and where we think this might be going in the future.