CONGESTION CHARGING IN EDINBURGH – A GESTATION WITH COMPLICATIONS John Saunders tie ltd

There have been a number of worrying transport trends in Scotland in recent decades. These include: neglect of the rail network, reductions in bus services and historic lack of investment in the road network. We have seen a steady increase in traffic volumes, 86% of car and van commuters travel alone, and 32% of people who commute less than 1km to work travel by car or van. Unless action is taken, traffic is projected to increase by 27% over twenty years. However, the Scottish Executive, Scotland’s devolved government, is committed to reversing these trends and is investing £3 billion capital in the next decade as well as ensuring that 70% of Executive transport funding goes on public transport projects. In the last five years, the Executive has committed significant funding to transport improvement projects associated with Edinburgh’s proposed congestion charge.