The SNP government’s target of reducing road use to tackle climate change has been branded a “car crash waiting to happen” after a scathing expert report.
Ministers have made barely any progress on their goal of cutting Scots’ car use by 20 per cent by 2030 due “a lack of leadership”, auditors said. The Auditor General and Accounts Commission said it’s now “unlikely” this ambition will be met with “minimal” movement in changing people’s transport habits.
Domestic transport is Scotland’s biggest source of emissions – 28 per cent of the total – with most of this coming from the roads. In damning findings, the public spending watchdogs found car traffic has increased since 2020 to pre-pandemic levels, public transport use has fallen and there’s been no major change in how much people walk or cycle.
They said in order to meet the target of reducing car kilometres by a fifth by the end of the decade, car traffic levels would need to decrease by 7.3billion kilometres to 29.3billion km. But traffic levels haven’t been that low since the mid-1990s.
Green groups warned, with the target just five years away, the pace of action “cannot remain stuck in first gear”. Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Slashing car emissions means bold action to make public transport the easy, affordable choice and that requires more investment.
“A Scottish tax on pollution-spewing private jets could raise up to an extra £30m per year to help fund cleaner, fairer transport. Without transformative climate action backed by transformative investment, Scotland’s net zero target is a car crash waiting to happen.”
Richard Dilks, boss of shared transport charity CoMoUK, said: “These findings are sadly not surprising, as the Scottish Government currently has no established plan to back up its admirable target on cutting car kilometres driven. Given the urgency of the climate emergency, the time wasted so far is very disappointing, but ministers can still make a significant impact if they grasp the opportunity.
“Expanding the provision of shared transport would reduce the need for private car journeys by making it easier for people to take short trips in a sustainable way. Our research has repeatedly highlighted the benefits of schemes such as shared bikes and car clubs.”
In their report, auditors warned the government and local councils would likely fail to hit the 2030 target without taking “difficult and potentially unpopular decisions” to discourage car use.
The assessment comes despite John Swinney’s claim last year that the 2030 goal can still be met. However, the SNP Holyrood administration already ditched an “unachievable” wider target to slash all emissions by 75 per cent by the end of the decade.
Auditor General Stephen Boyle said: “The Scottish Government set an ambitious and very challenging target to reduce car use by 20 per cent by 2030. But there has been a lack of leadership around delivering this goal. It’s now unlikely the government will achieve its ambition, so it needs to be clear how this will affect its wider ambitions to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.”
Ruth MacLeod, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils need to set out to what extent they will contribute and how they will measure their progress. But they also need clearer guidance and direction from the Scottish Government to agree their role in reducing car use in their area.”
Scottish Labour transport spokeswoman Claire Baker hit out: “Once again the SNP has been setting targets and then failing to lift a finger to deliver on them. We need a real strategy to make public transport and active travel practical and affordable options for all.”
Green MSP Mark Ruskell said the report must be a “wake-up call”, adding: “By introducing cheaper bus and train fares we can encourage people to make the switch to greener alternatives and to leave their car at home.”
Last year the Scottish Government axed its trial of scrapping peak rail fares, which was meant to encourage people to use public transport rather than cars, after saying the £40million price tag could not be justified. However, it was praised this week for agreeing a Budget deal with the Greens and Lib Dems which will see a £2 trial cap on bus fares.
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