How will transport be organised in an independent Scotland?

Public transport in all forms should be controlled by government to provide a public benefit rather than private profit.

Organisation of transport in an independent Scotland

Transport has one of the most uncertain futures.  It is nearly certain that a high proportion of road and marine vehicles are likely to be battery-electric powered, or use hydrogen fuel cells. Making this happen will require planning the essential transitional work to carbon zero.  It will require installing the core charging and re-fuelling infrastructure.  Investment to replace or retrofit existing public transport to be zero-carbon. Replacement of the existing ferry fleet is needed for hydrogen fueled vessels is required.  Development of  a strategy for air transport may be the most difficult.

Thinking Outwith the Box, GERS 2020-21 and the SNP conference Agenda

This week, Craig talks to SNP Policy Development Convenor Chris Hanlon and Agnes MacAuley from SNP Greenock & Inverclyde about the latest GERS figures and what they mean (and don’t mean) for Scotland, independence and the post-pandemic recovery. They then discuss up and coming motions to the SNP conference that have been influenced by or based on Common Weal policies including one for a National Transport Company designed to help decarbonise our cars and other vehicles.

Type of Resource
Podcast
Date Published
Primary Author or Creator
Craig Dalzell
Additional Author(s) / Creators
Chris Hanlon, Agnes MacAuley

APD Cut: A Flighty Economic Case

The case for the Scottish Government’s proposal to half and then eliminate Air Passenger Duty with the stated goal of boosting tourism in Scotland is examined and found to be counter-productive.

Type of Resource
Policy Paper
Primary Author or Creator
Craig Dalzell
Additional Author(s) / Creators
Common Weal

A Public Future for Scotland’s Railways

― Railways should be publicly run – Scotland’s rail system is currently structured in a complex manner, which mainly reflects the legacy of the Britain-wide privatisation experiment initiated by the Major Government’s 1993 Railways Act. For the past two decades, Scottish passenger services have been run by a succession of private and foreign state-owned train operating companies (TOCs), which in turn lease their rolling stock from privately-owned rolling stock operating companies (ROSCOs).

Type of Resource
Policy Paper
Primary Author or Creator
Lewis Bloss
Additional Author(s) / Creators
Common Weal