SCOTS won’t reduce car usage until there are better and more cost-effective alternatives, an expert has warned.
It was revealed last week that SNP ministers will have to ramp up their war on motorists if they stand a chance of hitting key emissions targets.
The Audit Scotland and Accounts Commission report called on all parties to make “potentially unpopular” decisions – amid fears that curbs such as bus gates and parking taxes could be rolled out across the country.
But Dr Heather Price, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography at the University of Stirling and UKRI’s Clean Air Champion for Scotland, believes it’s more important to prioritise motorists rather than push against them.
She said: “To significantly cut car use, we need alternative travel options that are realistic for people.
“This means travel options that are cheaper, easier and ideally quicker than jumping in the car.
“This will involve significant investment in infrastructure, like cycle lanes, but goes far beyond, including things like cheaper public transport options, communication and education campaigns, options for home working and more regular public transport services.
“The key thing here is that these options need to be available for everyone, regardless of things like income level, gender or whether they live in a rural area or not.
“For example, cycle infrastructure should be designed with women in mind, considering factors like the types of trips made and how to promote women’s safety during cycling.”
Nicola Sturgeon pledged to cut the number of car miles driven by 20 per cent by 2030 – but it’s believed that target is “unlikely” to be hit.
This calls into question the larger aim of being net zero by 2045 – having already watered down interim targets last year due to them being highly likely to be missed.
Councils such as Aberdeen have already faced furious backlash from punters over the introduction of bus gates, stopping cars from driving through parts of the city centre. Meanwhile, extra spending on bus and cycle lanes, as well as £40million on a pilot to scrap peak rail fares, have failed to shift people from cars into public transport or “active travel”.
Last week it was revealed rail fares across Scotland are set to increase by 3.8 per cent in April, which follows an 8.7 per cent rise last year.
The price rise, by Transport Scotland will affect all services operated by ScotRail, meaning an anytime return between Glasgow and Edinburgh will rise by £1.20, from £31.40 to £32.60.
Ministers are also proposing to cut the speed limit on single carriageway roads to 50mph as the Scottish Government argues its planned 20mph limits across cities, towns and villages, primarily a safety measure, would also “reduce emission rates”.
Plans have been discussed to charge Scots a price per kilometre driven, alongside a £15 fee to drive into cities, which could raise £3.6billion in extra revenue and cut car travel by a quarter.
But Dr Price insists any moves to curb the number of cars need to be a positive experience for motorists rather than a punishment, with collaboration key to success.
She said: “We all need to go on the net zero journey together. We need to ensure the public are involved in decision-making around moving away from car use.
“This requires a special focus on groups within society that need better support in this transition, like women, those on low incomes and people living in rural communities.
“We — the researchers, the government, and other stakeholders — also need to better communicate the really positive impacts of not using the car, things like improved mental and physical health and cost savings in the case of travelling by bike instead of car.”
COST OF CARS
CAR sales in Scotland are on the rise despite efforts to get motors off the road.
Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show numbers rose by three per cent year on year to December 2024. This was ahead of the UK average of just 2.6 per cent.
There are more than three million vehicles licensed for use on the roads in Scotland with over 80 per cent cars.
Almost three quarters of the adult population hold a full driving license and roughly the same number have access to one or more cars or vans. In 2023, 29.8 billion vehicle miles of traffic were travelled across the 37,000 miles of roads in Scotland.
Recent studies suggest road transport made up 75 per cent of transport greenhouse gas emissions and 28 per cent of all emissions. It’s estimated that less than two per cent of all privately registered cars in Scotland are fully electric.
She added: “We all have a role to play in reducing car miles.
“But wanting to drive less is one thing, doing it is another.
“Ultimately, changing our travel behaviours is really hard. We can have the best intentions, but then it rains, so we take the car, or we realise we’re late, so we take the car.
“First, we need the infrastructure to be there, so the cycle routes are in place, for example.
“Then we need the incentives to take a more sustainable option to be increased and the disincentives to use the car to be increased, too.
“Over time, these changes can become ‘the new normal’, for example with the Glasgow Low Emission Zone changing people’s travel behaviours around the city.”
