Title page
Contents
SUMMARY 6
1. INTRODUCTION 8
OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH 11
2. TRANSPORT IN RURAL SCOTLAND 13
THE RURAL CONTEXT 13
THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS AND TRANSPORT POVERTY IN RURAL SCOTLAND 15
INTERVENTIONS TO DECARBONISE RURAL TRANSPORT 17
BEYOND PRIVATE TRANSPORT: SHARED MOBILITY, CAR CLUBS AND COMMUNITY TRANSPORT 17
ACTIVE TRAVEL AS A RURAL MODE OF TRANSPORT 18
CONCESSIONARY OR REDUCED TRAVEL FARES 19
3. INSIGHTS FROM THE PUBLIC 21
UNPACKING THE REALITIES OF LIVING IN RURAL SCOTLAND 21
WHERE NEXT? PERCEPTIONS OF DECISION MAKERS 26
4. PRINCIPLES FOR ACTION 29
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 31
RECOMMENDATIONS 31
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 31
LOCAL AUTHORITY RECOMMENDATIONS 33
REFERENCES 35
TABLE 3.1. INSIGHTS FROM THE PUBLIC GROUPED BY OVERARCHING CATEGORY, AND THE RECOMMENDATION(S) TO ADDRESS IT 28
FIGURE 1.1. TRANSPORT NOW ACCOUNTS FOR MORE EMISSIONS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE OF EMISSIONS IN SCOTLAND (26%) AND HAS NOT REDUCED... 8
FIGURE 1.2. CARS ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 50% OF ALL LAND TRANSPORT EMISSIONS IN SCOTLAND IN 2021 9
FIGURE 1.3. VEHICLE KILOMETRES DRIVEN HAVE INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND HAVE REBOUNDED SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC... 10
FIGURE 2.1. MOST HOUSEHOLDS THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR ARE IN LARGE URBAN AREAS, WHILE HOUSEHOLDS WITH MORE THAN ONE CAR ARE... 13
FIGURE 2.2. THOSE LIVING ON THE LOWEST INCOMES ARE LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR - AND THE GREATER YOUR INCOME, THE MORE LIKELY... 14
FIGURE 2.3. THERE HAS BEEN A CLEAR DECLINE IN LOCAL BUS MILES TRAVELLED IN SCOTLAND SINCE 2005, WHICH CORRELATES WITH A DECREASE IN... 15
FIGURE 2.4. THE DIFFERENCE IN WEEKLY TRAVEL COSTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL SCOTLAND VS URBAN AREAS 16