I was unable to answer all questions during the recent session of Transport Portfolio Questions in the Scottish Parliament. My answers to the questions which I wasn’t able to answer are below, grouped by the person asking the question. I have also chosen to expand on some of my shorter answers given during the session.

From /u/cocoiadrop_:

How does the Secretary feel about serving as Transport Secretary in a Government where a senior member, the leader of the Conservatives, has made a horrible generalisation as to the behaviour of bike riders that only makes the stigmatisation and discrimination against bike riders worse?

I stated in my response to Ms Blue that I disagreed with the phrasing she used to describe cyclists, and I do think that we need to be encouraging further uptake of cycling as opposed to driving a car as part of the effort to decarbonise transportation. It is, however, the case that breaching traffic rules in a way which endangers pedestrians is of course dangerous and is an offence under our traffic laws.

Bridge strikes against railway bridges are sadly more common than not in Scotland. These strikes cause significant delays to rail passengers, the users of the road under the bridge, and can cost the railways thousands of pounds in repair costs. Does the Secretary agree with me that we should be doing more to tackle this issue in perhaps the form of greater safety methods on approach to bridges?

I do agree that we need to tackle bridge strikes, in which a tall vehicle such as a lorry attempts to go under a bridge, but it is too tall to fit under the bridge, causing damage not only to itself but also potentially to the bridge, as well as potentially blocking traffic. I think we need to ensure that the drivers of such tall vehicles are aware of the minimum height which their vehicle can fit under, and we need to ensure that on the approach to all low bridges, there are sufficient signs saying the height clearance of the bridge, among other safety measures to prevent bridge strikes from occurring.

From /u/Leftywalrus:

What steps is your government taking to improve the accessibility of public transportation for people with disabilities, including the implementation of inclusive design practices and the provision of accessible vehicles and facilities?

We need to ensure that public transportation buildings, such as railway stations, are fully accessible, for example by ensuring that wherever there are stairs, there is also a lift (or a ramp in the case of a short set of stairs) to accommodate passengers of reduced mobility. All trains in Scotland comply with the Persons with Reduced Mobility regulations which came into force earlier this decade, yet many trains and platforms do not accommodate level boarding. To fix this, I believe that we need to ensure that platforms are built to the same height as the floors of trains, and that any new rolling stock which is procured for the Scottish Division of British Rail has technology to plug any gap between the train and the platform. As iconic as the mind the gap announcement may be, it being necessary does make our railways less accessible.

Can the Transport Minister provide an update on their government's efforts to promote active travel, such as cycling and walking, through initiatives that prioritise infrastructure development, awareness campaigns, and education?

I believe that we need to tackle the reasons why people are reluctant to cycle. One of these reasons is safety: too many people do not feel that they would be safe on our roads on a bike. To combat this, I think that we need to reform the planning system so that all roads must be built to a cycle-safe standard and so that current roads which aren’t suitably safe for cyclists are rebuilt to a cycle-safe standard. As part of this, all busy or main roads should have cycle lanes, and junctions should be built in a way which segregates cycle and road traffic. One way of achieving this is by having what is effectively a cycle roundabout go around the junction, the junction being either a signalised junction (in which case you have a Cycle Optimised Protected Signals (CYCLOPS) junction) or a roundabout (in which case you have a Dutch-style roundabout). I believe that such junctions should become the norm in Scotland for junctions between busy roads.

What measures are the Transport Minister and government implementing to improve the safety of Scotland's roads, including initiatives to reduce traffic accidents, improve road infrastructure, and enhance driver education?

We need to ensure that all drivers take road safety seriously, and that our road network is designed to be as safe as possible. This includes ensuring that road layouts and junctions are safe, and by building cycle-safe roads (see my response to the above question).

Can the Transport Minister outline their ministry's plans to enhance the integration of different modes of transportation, such as buses, trains, and ferries, to create a seamless and efficient transport network across Scotland?

One of the ways which Scotland’s public transport network is disjointed is that there are multiple transport operators in Scotland, be it British Rail, Lothian buses and other bus operators, etc, all with their own ticketing policies. In London, if you want to make a journey involving TfL Buses, the Tube, Overground, etc, you can use contactless or Oyster for the whole journey, whereas there is no one ticketing system in Scotland: all transport operators have their own system. The Single Transport Ticket Scheme has alleviated this issue somewhat, but more work needs to be done on this. My Public Transport (Fares and Ticketing) Bill, which is currently on the docket, will solve this issue by moving towards a more unified ticketing system for all of Scotland and by simplifying the rollout of a national smartcard system (like the Oyster card, but for Scotland). Additionally, it will allow the Single Transport Ticket Scheme to be made mandatory.

From /u/model-avtron:

Should we turn our urban motorways into nicer, boulevard like roads?

There have been many cases worldwide of urban motorways being demolished and being turned into greenspace instead. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but such schemes have usually led to improved traffic flow by encouraging people who previously travelled by car to travel by some other means. There have also been proposals to change the M8 motorway which goes through the urban centre of Glasgow, for example by instituting a 30mph speed limit on the motorway. I do think that such schemes to turn urban motorways into boulevards have merit and would have many benefits on the communities the motorway runs through. I would have to examine any specific proposals before I can give them my backing, but I do think that turning urban motorways into boulevards while also investing in the local public transport network so that it can handle increased traffic and so that those previously driving on the motorway do use public transport instead would be beneficial.

What is the Government doing regarding public transport to and from airports, Glasgow and Edinburgh specifically?

The SNP’s current deputy leader has proposed building a new railway link to Glasgow Airport, which I would be supportive of. There isn’t sufficient time left during this term to make any significant investments into new railway links, but should a future government draft a new infrastructure strategy, I think that it should consider improved rail links to Scotland’s airports, including the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, and to Edinburgh Airport should its current rail links through the Edinburgh Gateway station and the trams be inadequate.

From /u/Waffel-lol:

Would my friend the Transport Secretary agree that supporting renewable energy within public transport is a crucial goal of this government?

Yes. As I said during the session, I expect that this government will continue to fund the railway electrification plans of the Infrastructure Strategy. I have also in the past voiced my support for phasing out diesel buses in favour of electric buses.

Would the Secretary commit to agreeing to a fund for local councils to address potholes and the dangers it has on transport?

During the session I failed to mention that as per the Infrastructure Strategy, £25mn is proposed to be spent each year on fixing potholes. I believe that this funding should be continued.