Just over 60 years ago, two young engineers crossed over the Forth Road Bridge. Trouble was there was no actual road at that time, just the iconic towers and some heavy mesh netting that hung more than 100 feet above the freezing river.
But that didn’t deter the dynamic duo, as they scrambled over the unfinished bridge from South Queensferry to Fife, the first people to make the crossing on the new structure.
The story was told in an excellent documentary which aired on the 50th anniversary of the bridge ten years ago and returns to BBC iPlayer at the weekend as the bridge celebrates reaching an age that entitles it to a free bus pass.
The road bridge stands as testament to Scotland’s 20th century ambitions and determination to overcome enormous challenges to connect the country with an effective and efficient transport network in much the same way as its sister rail bridge did in the 19th century.
But almost a quarter of way into the 21st century, I doubt anyone would describe the country’s transport strategy as bold or ambitious. Just getting from A to B anywhere these days on rail, road or sea on a regular basis without any drama feels like a triumph.
Trains, planes and automobiles
We have island communities badly served by ageing ferries with replacements that take too long and cost too much money to build; main roads connecting the Highland capital to the south or the north of England to Edinburgh that are as frustrating and as dangerous as they’ve ever been and a publicly owned rail company that seems to permanently run a temporary timetable.
In his Programme for Government (PfG) last week, First Minister John Swinney pledged to keep upgrading bits of the A9 to dual carriageway even though his party once said it would be completed by 2025. On rail and ferries, there wasn’t much other than a name check.
There was some positive news the day before the PfG when Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop said procurement of much needed new rolling stock for inter-city services would begin later this month but without a clear timetable for implementation.
When it comes to roads, the prevailing wind is against any new ones, yet we seem content that the main motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh has the same number of carriageways as it did when first built in the mid 1960s.
Even our supposedly flagship airport Edinburgh comes in for a fair amount of criticism over its terminal facilities, delays at security and the condition of its runway.
The biggest urban area in Scotland, greater Glasgow, has had plans for an integrated transport network for decades but beyond drawings and plans, nothing much has progressed. Meanwhile, London is pushing on with plans for CrossRail 2 and Manchester has taken control of its bus network re-introducing night services.
If this comes across a tale of woe, let me be clear. I don’t think we lack ambition; what we seem to lack is the ability to properly deliver.
Scottish transport options need to work for the future
A functioning transport network is a pretty fundamental part of any economic growth strategy which was very clear in senior business leader Juergen Maier’s recent report on a long-term urban transport strategy for the Labour party which was focused on England.
The review called for a transport infrastructure plan to ensure a greener, more inclusive, and efficient UK transport network – not just for the next five years, but the next 50. And it said a Transport Strategy for England (TSE) should be created “encompassing skills, land use and housing objectives to align with regional and local strategies”.
To get things moving (literally) project delivery costs should be reduced by 20% and timelines by 25%. It also encouraged leveraging better private investment and ensuring voices of transport users and the workforce are central to future transport plans, “driving social inclusion and local growth”.
Scotland needs something similar. Some might say we already have a strategy but there are some differences. The 20-year transport strategy brought out in 2020 by the Scottish Government sets out the “strategic framework” but seems to have been drawn up in isolation from those other aspects Maier’s report highlighted.
Delivering inclusive economic growth, for example, was only third in its list of priorities.
A quick look at the most recent update on the delivery plan shows a very positive spin (it glosses over the ferry debacle for example) and claims much of what it called for four years ago is either achieved or on the way.
Here’s one quick example of those “wins”. East Linton and Reston rail stations on the east coast main line have opened in the last two years at a combined cost of £35m but there is currently just one train that gets into Edinburgh before 08:56 each morning from both and only one train back to East Linton between 2pm until just after 7pm.
Matching ambition with delivery
Much of the post 2020 approach in Scotland seems to be about getting passengers back onto trains after Covid but what Scotland needs more than ever is a country-wide, realistic transport plan that is ambitious but mainly focused on growing the economy. One that is grounded in reality with a realistic timetable and doesn’t shirk from the challenges or political obstacles in the way.
Before his report came out, Maier suggested a ten-year plan may not be long enough when it comes to ‘big ticket’ infrastructure investment. All of us would agree that quicker solutions are better but getting it right for the longer term is even better and the country’s needs should transcend politics.
The three magnificent bridges over the Forth show how Scotland harnessed its engineering excellence to improve transport and boost the economy. Ambition was however matched by delivery. There are financial challenges but those seem harder to use as an excuse when £40m was spent on a failed experiment to encourage more passenger journeys by scrapping peak fares at ScotRail.
I would argue Scotland needs its own version of Maier’s report led by a figure equally strong and independent of thought that recognises our specific needs and specific challenges and the time needed to make it happen.
It shouldn’t be hamstrung by political allegiance or beholden to various interest groups. I am sure some will respond saying that we have a plan and it is working but for those of us cursing delayed or cancelled trains every day, queueing at airport security, stuck in a jam on the M8 or relying on ferries, it doesn’t feel like that.
