The Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP) held a fringe event at the SNP Autumn 2009 Conference in Inverness on the future prospects for the country’s transportation. Entitled ‘Transport Solutions for Scotland: Getting Scotland to Work’.
The event took the form of the popular television series, Dragons Den, in which five key stakeholders in Scottish transportation presented their proposals to the Dragons.
Chaired by Ross Martin, Policy Director for CSPP, the event displayed the diversity of transport initiatives open to Scotland. Presentations included telecommuting solutions, high speed rail, an automated transport system for Glasgow, modernisation of Glasgow’s subway system and developing and promoting cycling solutions in Scotland.
High Speed Rail Line
Putting forward his proposal for high speed rail, Graham Bell of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said that the time had come to turn the ‘aspiration’ of high speed rail into ‘inspiration’. Focusing on commuting patterns between central Scotland and central London, Bell highlighted that today up to 1 million people commute by either rail or road, while a further 6 million people commute by air.
Not only would high speed rail take 3.5 million people out of airports and save up to £1 billion in time, it would also dramatically reduce carbon emissions. With the costs of building a high speed rail line in Britain expected to be up to £30 billion, Bell suggested that the cost of incorporating Scotland into the wider UK proposal could realistically see costs rise by a further £8 billion over 20 years.
He believed that the onus is on Scotland to ensure that it is included in the construction and development of a high speed rail. Bell also advocated the proposal that the line would split at the border ensuring that that both Edinburgh and Glasgow would be similarly served.
The Dragons were equally enthusiastic, but with some caveats. Minister Stevenson though persuaded was particularly concerned about the costs involved. Scott McIntosh, on the other hand highlighted the fact that a number of studies had been done on the issue of high speed rail in the UK and the question now needed to be asked as to how this would be delivered. High speed rail for McIntosh had to be part of an integrated transport system and while it has the support of both the public and the private sectors he argued that without the involvement of the private sector such a project could not be delivered.
| Scott McIntosh | Mike Connelly | Stewart Stevenson | Grant Thomas |
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