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Since 2020 the Scottish Government has provided over £150 million to support the introduction of zero emission buses, which will bring the number servicing Scotland’s communities from less than 20 to more than 800. This includes our most recent round of Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB), which will bring 252 new, zero-emission buses and coaches into service between 2024-25 and 2025-26. This funding will electrify several bus depots, allowing operators to introduce more zero emission vehicles into their fleets in the future. Some of these depots will be made available for use by other fleets of heavy road vehicles. This pan-Scotland charging network will provide confidence in the availability of infrastructure to other road users, encouraging more operators to make the switch to zero-emissions. Government will continue to explore with the sector how private sector finance can be leveraged to increase the pace and scale of transition.

Everyone has the right to be, and feel, safe in their community. Passengers and staff must feel safe when travelling or working on our public transport networks, including bus stations. We have established an Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour in November 2023. The Group reported its findings and recommendations in late December and the report will be published shortly.

Bus stations are owned and operated by local authorities, bus operators or local transport authorities. The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene on decisions relating to the management of bus stations.

Local authorities, in conjunction with Police Scotland, lead on preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour within the geographical areas they cover. Those working on the ground are best placed to understand the issues that local communities are facing, and work with them to resolve these issues.

Transport Scotland is working closely with the Confederation for Passenger Transport (Scotland) to make progress on the issue of antisocial behaviour on the bus network, including sharing of best practice between operators, developing options for on the ground support to bus operators and work to develop a process for temporary suspension or withdrawal of concessionary travel entitlement.

The Scottish Government has provided £4.2bn of funding from 2024 to 2029 for Network Rail to operate, maintain and renew Scotland’s rail infrastructure. The Scottish Government expects Network rail to deliver significant improvements in the capability, resilience and performance of rail infrastructure across the network with this funding.

In addition, the Scottish Government has an impressive record of delivering a rolling programme of rail enhancement projects. Decisions on which further enhancements will commence in 2025-2026 remain subject to consideration by the Investment Decision Making Board at Transport Scotland and myself and will be announced in due course.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving road infrastructure throughout Scotland as a key factor in securing economic growth and high-quality public infrastructure across Scotland. This includes our ongoing commitment to dual the A9, delivering improvements to the A96 which includes dualling Inverness to Nairn and the Nairn Bypass, delivering a range of measures of improvements to the A83 to reduce the risk of landslips at the Rest and Be Thankful and taking forward design work on the A75 between Springholm and Crocketford.

During 2025-26 main construction works are expected to commence on the third A9 Dualling contract, Tomatin to Moy, following contract award in July 2024, and preparatory works followed by main construction works are expected to commence on the fourth A9 Dualling contract, Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, following anticipated contract award in Summer 2025. In addition, procurement of the fifth A9 Dualling contract, Pitlochry to Killiecrankie, is expected to commence in Summer 2025.

Subject to completing the necessary statutory procedures, we will also during 2025-26 commence the next phase of the medium term improvements to reduce the impact of landslips at the Rest and Be Thankful.

The recommendations set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, guide long term investment in Scotland’s strategic transport network.

The evidenced led appraisal that supported STPR2 did not recommend any major road upgrades for the A1. It did, however, make provision for investment to ensure that Scotland’s trunk road network remains safe (Recommendation 30), adapted to deal with the impacts of climate change (Recommendation 31) and resilient (Recommendation 32).

The UK Government’s cancellation of the A1 Morpeth to Ellingham scheme following their autumn budget in October 2024 is anticipated to have no impact on Scottish Government plans for the A1. Last financial year (2023/24), the Scottish Government invested £10,613,185 to ensure the continued safe and efficient operation of the A1 north of the border.

The Scottish Government remain committed to ensuring the Arran ferry service is fit for the future, and to finding a solution at Ardrossan that can be delivered in a cost effective way, reflecting the needs of all of the partners involved. We understand and share frustrations at the pace of progress on the Ardrossan Harbour redevelopment.

Ongoing discussions and negotiations around the delivery of improvements at the port have been complex but the business case review is substantially complete, and project partners continue to work on this as quickly as practicable. The next meeting of the Ardrossan Task Force will be convened soon after the business case and cost review exercise has been submitted to Ministers for a decision.

The Kingston Bridge Complex in Glasgow receives a rigorous programme of regular inspections. The output from these inspections is used to inform current and future maintenance programmes. Any defects identified from these inspections are prioritised and taken forward for future repair, if necessary.

The concrete spalling reported on 14 January 2025, immediately above Paisley Road, was related to an historic concrete repair, which broke loose after the recent period of cold weather. There are other historic repairs within the complex and, to address this issue and to ensure public safety, Transport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey, has instigated further close visual special inspections to identify and remove any loose concrete at these historic repairs. These inspections are underway and will continue over the next few weeks.

Project Neptune was commissioned in March 2021, culminating in the publication of its findings on 8 September 2022. This was followed up with community engagement, by Angus Campbell, resulting in the publication of the 'Communities Report on Future Management of Ferries' on 10 July 2023. Almost £244,000 has been spent on Project Neptune, excluding internal Transport Scotland resources.

Since publication of the reports, Scottish Ministers have been consistently clear on the need to improve delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS), to ensure the requirements of ferry dependent communities are met. No immediate decisions are being made on the subject of reform of the ferries sector, though nothing is off the table. At present, the focus is on the preparation for bringing the six new major vessels into the CalMac fleet and the considerable work involved in putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new CHFS contract next year.