Preliminary Appraisal Summary Table - Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride

Preliminary Appraisal Summary

Option Description

Bus Priority Measures and Park and Ride

The A96 Trunk Road between Inverness and Aberdeen passes through several built-up settlements as well as more rural areas. This option focuses on implementing schemes targeted at delivering faster and more reliable journey times across the A96 corridor for bus passengers, coupled with the provision of new bus park and ride sites where appropriate. Interventions will differ by location, with consideration given to:

  • road space reallocation on both trunk roads and local roads – conversion of existing road space to benefit bus priority such as the introduction of bus lanes
  • the introduction of bus lanes – lanes created specifically for use by buses, taxis and cycles, generally located alongside existing carriageways and are primarily used to improve journey times and reliability of bus services
  • the introduction of bus gates – short sections of road that are used to restrict access to specific areas (such as high streets for example) to authorised vehicles such as buses but may also include taxis and cycles for example
  • traffic signal priority – traffic signals with a bus detection facility used to provide priority for buses over general traffic at signalised junctions
  • bus rapid transit ( Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, What is BRT?, ) – a high quality bus transit system which aims to deliver fast, comfortable, and cost-effective services at high capacities. This is achieved through infrastructure such as segregated busways and bus lanes, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations
  • new bus park and ride sites – integration between parking and bus travel to reduce the number of vehicles in congested city/town centres, with complementary bus priority measures introduced to improve bus journey times and reliability.

Bus priority measures are important given the climate emergency and consequent national targets to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030 ( SNP, SNP 2021 Manifesto: Scotland’s Future, Scotland’s Choice, 2021 ) and cut greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero by 2045 ( Scottish Government, Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 – update, 2020 ) . As envisaged in the Second National Transport Strategy (NTS2) ( Transport Scotland, National Transport Strategy 2, 2020, Figure 6, ) , it is also anticipated that through a circle of growth, provision of bus priority measures will leverage other bus service improvements, such as increased mileage, with faster bus speeds and punctuality improvements resulting in increased patronage and lower car use, reducing congestion further.

Over and above the emissions benefit, improving bus services contributes to a just transition to net zero by tackling inequalities. This is owing to the demographics of bus users and the reliance of some people on bus, given that 48% of the most deprived households (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile 1) do not have access to a car and are twice as likely to use the bus to travel to work as households in the least deprived three quintiles ( Transport Scotland, Transport and Travel in Scotland 2019: Results from the Scottish Household Survey, September 2020 ) .

The Scottish Government has already committed to investing in bus priority infrastructure, with the Bus Partnership Fund (BPF) launched in November 2020 ( Transport Scotland, Bus Partnership Fund, ) . If the current BPF grants prove to be successful, STPR2 has also recommended that funding is either extended or that there is a subsequent round of funding, especially if there is evidence of bus priority investment being leveraged to support other improvements from operators and local transport authorities.

Relevance

Relevant to all public transport users in the corridor

While bus priority measures and park and ride facilities are likely to be relevant across the whole corridor, they will be most relevant in areas with the highest levels of traffic congestion and a greater number of junctions that delay traffic and consequently existing bus services. However, work undertaken during STPR2 indicated that, measured on the basis of vehicle kilometres per kilometre of road in 2017/18 ( Transport Scotland, Scottish Transport Statistics, tables 4.2 and 5.5, 2018 ) , The Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire Councils had some of the lowest levels of congestion in Scotland. Therefore, if this option is to be retained, it will be important to identify locations where localised congestion may be delaying buses.

The option also fits with the current strategy of Scottish Government and their BPF investment commitment of over £500m to deliver bus priority measures on both local and trunk roads. This investment is intended to reduce the impacts of congestion on bus services and counteract a decline in bus patronage, which is noted as being low across the A96 corridor, especially in rural communities with long travel distances to key destinations. Bus journey times are also noted as being uncompetitive with private car in the A96 Corridor Review Case for Change, which bus priority measures could seek to improve.

Quicker and more reliable bus journey times should encourage an increase in bus patronage. If this results in a mode shift away from private vehicles, this option could also support the Scottish Government’s target of reducing the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 ( Transport Scotland, Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 - update, 2020, ) , contributing on the path towards net zero emissions. This option also supports Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation ( Scottish Government, Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, 2022 ) , which sets out the Scottish Government’s vision to creating a more successful country through a wellbeing economy, noting the requirement to thrive across the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Estimated Cost

<£25m Capital

Determining the estimated cost of this option is dependent on a number of factors including the location, scale and complexity of providing bus priority measures and park and ride facilities in the A96 corridor. Further analysis and assessment would be required at the stages of design development, a level of detail beyond that which is undertaken as part of a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal.

It has been assumed that a proportion of STPR2 recommendation 14 cost, to implement new Bus Priority schemes across Scotland (£500m and £1,000m), would be allocated to the A96 corridor.

The asset owner would be dependent on the location and nature of the measures, with Transport Scotland likely to be responsible for bus priority measures on trunk roads, appropriate local authorities likely to be responsible for bus priority measures elsewhere and park and ride sites potentially owned by the relevant Regional Transport Partnership or local authority. In addition to construction costs, it is anticipated that the asset owners would take on the operation and maintenance associated with any intervention, which will have ongoing costs associated with it.

Position in Sustainable Hierarchies

Sustainable Investment Hierarchy / Sustainable Travel Hierarchy

Within the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy, this option sits within ‘targeted infrastructure improvements’. In addition, increased bus priority and park and ride may also deliver mode shift, therefore additionally ‘making better use of existing capacity’ and ‘reducing the need to travel unsustainably’. This option would also sit within the ‘public transport’ tier of the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy.

This option would also contribute to seven of the 12 NTS2 outcomes, as follows:

  • Provide fair access to services we need
  • Help deliver our net zero target
  • Adapt to the effects of climate change
  • Promote greener, cleaner choices
  • Get people and goods where they need to get to
  • Be reliable, efficient and high quality
  • Use beneficial innovation.

Summary Rationale

Summary of Appraisal

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, TPO1 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. TPO2 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. TPO3 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. TPO4 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. TPO5 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The STAG Environment Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The STAG Climate Change Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The STAG Health, Safety & Wellbeing Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The STAG Economy Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The STAG Equality & Accessibility Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The Equalities Impact Assessment scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario. The Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment scores Moderate Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario, and Moderate Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

Provision of strategic bus priority measures and park and ride facilities could have a positive impact against all of the A96 Corridor Review Transport Planning Objectives (TPOs), STAG criteria and the Statutory Impact Assessment (SIA) criteria in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

Delivering faster and more reliable journey times for bus passengers is likely to increase the attractiveness of bus as a mode of transport, resulting in a mode shift from car. Delivering faster and more reliable bus journey times is likely to increase the attractiveness of bus, potentially resulting in a mode shift from car. This is anticipated to result in minor positive impacts for all TPOs and STAG criteria.

The option also positively contributes to the SIA criteria around Equality and Child Rights and Wellbeing, with minor positive impacts expected, and a moderate positive impact in relation to the Fairer Duty Scotland Assessment.

In addition, provision of bus priority measures could reduce bus operating costs, providing the opportunity to leverage other bus service improvements from operators, such as increased mileage.

Delivery of bus priority measures and park and ride facilities is considered feasible, making use of interventions for which there is already significant experience of implementation in Scotland, and should be affordable, with the ability to tailor funding to suit local circumstances. They should also be affordable, with the ability to tailor funding to suit local circumstances. However, a detailed assessment would require to be undertaken to fully establish the details of the most appropriate interventions. Although public consultation indicates a potential level of general support for bus priority measures and park and ride, there may still be challenges associated with public acceptability, especially where provision of bus priority measures requires reallocation of road space or removal of parking.

It is recommended that this option is taken forward to the Detailed Appraisal stage.

Details behind this summary are discussed in Section 3.

Context

Problems and Opportunities

This option could help to address the following problem and opportunity themes. Further detail on the identified problems and opportunities is provided in the published A96 Corridor Review Case for Change ( Jacobs AECOM, A96 Corridor Review Case for Change, 2022 ) .

Relevant Problem and Opportunity Themes Identified in the A96 Corridor Review Case for Change

Socio-Economic and Location of Services: Employment and other key services tend to be found in the three most populous and key economic locations within the study area: Aberdeen, Inverness and Elgin. Considering the travel distances between these three key economic centres and the other settlements in the transport appraisal study area, travelling by sustainable modes is relatively unattractive.

The key economic centres contain essential facilities such as major hospitals as well as a much greater density of education facilities. In addition, almost half of the total jobs in the transport appraisal study area are found within these three locations. Outside of these three areas, people making a trip to a workplace are more likely to travel over 10km.

Public Transport Accessibility: Evidence across the transport appraisal study area suggests that outside of Aberdeen, the level of public transport use is low in comparison to the rest of the country. Outside of Aberdeen City, the use of bus for commuting to work is significantly lower than the national average, as it is for rail, with only Insch having a mode share above national average. The Scottish Accessibility to Bus Indicator (SABI) demonstrates that across the transport appraisal study area, the accessibility to bus is low outside of the urban areas of Aberdeen and parts of Inverness.

Large sections of the population in the transport appraisal study area cannot access key services such as hospitals with emergency departments, or higher education within two hours by public transport. Moray and Aberdeenshire both have low accessibility to these services which are often centralised in more urban areas such as Elgin, Inverness or Aberdeen. As such, public transport is not an option for many trip purposes within the transport appraisal study area.

Competitiveness of Public Transport with Other Modes: Bus journey times are not competitive with train or car for longer trips across the transport appraisal study area. The cost of rail and some longer distance bus trips is higher in relation to car fuel costs (as at March 2022). Public consultation has also revealed that the perception of delay and a lack of multimodal integration combined with the perceived high cost of fares, particularly for rail, makes travel by public transport unattractive to users.

Travel Choice and Behaviour (Problem): The number of homes without access to a private vehicle in the transport appraisal study area is consistently less than the Scottish average. Aberdeenshire has a high level of access to a private vehicle, with approximately 90% of households in Aberdeenshire within the transport appraisal study area having access to at least one vehicle and over half have access to multiple vehicles. There is a greater availability of car in the rural areas across the transport appraisal study area. This combined with the travel to work mode shares, indicates a reliance on private vehicles for travel. Travel to work data suggests older people are more reliant on cars, so with the aging population in the transport appraisal study area, this is likely to increase the use of cars further.

Health and Environment: Transport is a major contributor to CO 2 emissions along the A96 corridor, particularly in the Aberdeenshire and Highland Council areas. Transport contributes over 35% of the total emissions in both Aberdeenshire and Highland Council areas and between 25% and 30% in Aberdeen City and Moray. This is potentially an outcome of the high dependence on cars for travel, long travel distances and the levels of road-based freight movements.

The route of the A96 travels through the centre of towns along the corridor such as Elgin and Keith, which puts a relatively large proportion of the population in close proximity to potential noise pollution and pollutants from transport emissions that affect local air quality.

Improving Safety: There is the opportunity to reduce the number and severity of accidents on the A96 Trunk Road on those sections of the road where the Personal Injury Accidents and/or Killed or Seriously Injured accident rates are high when compared to the national average for equivalent urban or rural trunk A-roads. Improving safety for road users would contribute to meeting the targets set out in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 to achieve the 50% reduction in people killed or seriously injured (60% reduction for children). Reducing the level of car-based kilometres travelled would also contribute to a reduction in accident numbers.

Health and Environment Impacts of Travel: Reducing the use of car travel throughout the transport appraisal study area, particularly for short trips that could be made without motorised transport at all, would help reduce the transport contribution to CO 2 emissions, an important requirement of the Scottish Government’s net zero target. Fewer vehicle kilometres travelled would also improve the local air quality, with associated health benefits in communities along the A96.

Travel Choice and Behaviour (Opportunity): Travel choices throughout the transport appraisal study area would be increased through better integration of modes and the provision of more demand-responsive options.

Interdependencies

This option has potential overlap with other A96 Corridor Review options and would also complement other areas of Scottish Government activity.

Other A96 Corridor Review options

  • Active Communities
  • Active Connections
  • Improved Public Transport Passenger Interchange Facilities
  • Investment in DRT and MaaS
  • Elgin Bypass
  • Forres Bypass
  • Inverurie Bypass
  • Keith Bypass
  • Development of the A96 Electric Corridor.

Other areas of Scottish Government activity

Appraisal

Appraisal Overview

This section provides an assessment of the option against:

  • A96 Corridor Review Transport Planning Objectives
  • STAG criteria
  • Deliverability criteria
  • Statutory Impact Assessment criteria.

The seven-point assessment scale has been used to indicate the impact of the option when considered under the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ Travel Behaviour scenarios (which are described in Appendix A of the Transport Appraisal Report).

Transport Planning Objectives

1. A sustainable strategic transport corridor that contributes to the Scottish Government’s net zero emissions target.

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the TPO1 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

If bus priority measures and park and ride increase the attractiveness of bus as a mode of transport they could result in mode shift from car, with evidence suggesting that implementation of extensive bus lanes can reduce car use by up to 6% ( Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Leaflet 6/01, April 2001 ) , which could reduce pollution. Bus priority measures would also reduce pressures on bus operating costs, which could support greater levels of investment in new, lower emission vehicles.

While the location of new park and ride sites would need to be carefully considered to avoid increases in car use as people drive to these sites, a successful park and ride site can reduce the number of cars in a congested urban environment (Ferrytoll and Halbeath Park & Ride sites in Fife both have car parks with in excess of 1,000 spaces, but are nearing capacity in summer months, suggesting that up to 2,000 vehicles have been removed from the roads on those days. Sourced from case study interviews with Stagecoach and Fife Council for STPR2, 2019), such as Inverness or Aberdeen, as users shift mode to bus for the final leg of their journey.

The option requires further consideration with regards to the specific elements that are likely to be brought forward. This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact against this objective in both ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

2. An inclusive strategic transport corridor that improves the accessibility of public transport in rural areas for access to healthcare, employment and education.

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the TPO2 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

Bus priority measures should reduce both journey times and journey time variability, with evidence suggesting that along a 10-kilometre highly congested bus route, fully enforced bus lanes could reduce bus travel times by seven to nine minutes and traffic signal priorities could reduce bus travel times by two to four minutes ( Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Leaflet 6/01, April 2001 ) . This would make bus a more attractive travel option, and would increase accessibility to employment, education, healthcare and leisure activities, especially for passengers from the most deprived households who are less likely to own a car and are more reliant on travel by public transport.

This option could also reduce pressures on operating costs through more efficient journeys, which should in turn lower the likelihood of operators reducing the frequency of services. These efficiencies may be passed onto passengers by operators through increased levels of service, improved quality of services and/or reduced fares; however, given the current commercial viability of services in the corridor the latter is potentially unlikely.

This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact against this objective in both ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. A coherent strategic transport corridor that enhances communities as places, supporting health, wellbeing and the environment.

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the TPO3 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

The NTS2 highlighted that the transport system can help to improve the sustainability of placemaking if it can discourage people from owning or using cars ( Transport Scotland, National Transport Strategy 2, page 59, 2020, ) . Given that research by Living Streets across 20 communities in Scotland indicated that 83% of passengers value bus reliability as their top consideration ( Living Streets, Bus Connectivity Project, 2019, ) , bus priority measures could increase the attractiveness of bus as a mode of transport by improving reliability. This could consequently result in a shift from car, enhancing communities as places and reducing pollution. There is also likely to be an increase in active travel as bus travel requires an element of walking to and from stops, which would support health and wellbeing.

Park and ride can also remove cars from congested urban centres, thereby improving air quality in these locations.

This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact against this objective in both ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

4. An integrated strategic transport system that contributes towards sustainable inclusive growth throughout the corridor and beyond.

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the TPO4 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

The bus priority elements of this option are likely to have a positive impact on this objective through reducing bus journey times, improving sustainable access to labour markets and key centres of employment, education and training, particularly for those from the most deprived households and those who are less likely to own a car and are therefore more reliant on travel by bus.

While the location of new park and ride sites would need to be carefully considered to avoid increases in car use as people drive to these sites, a successful park and ride site can reduce the number of cars in a congested urban environment such as Inverness or Aberdeen, which is also anticipated to improve access to labour markets by reducing journey times.

This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact against this objective in both ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

5. A reliable and resilient strategic transport system that is safe for users.

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the TPO5 scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

Bus priority measures should improve the reliability of the bus network by reducing journey times and reducing journey time variability, with evidence suggesting that along a 10-kilometre highly congested bus route, traffic signal priorities could reduce the variability of travel time by up to 16% ( Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Leaflet 6/01, April 2001 ) , although benefits may be more limited across the A96 corridor due to lower levels of congestion ( Transport Scotland, A96 Corridor Review Case for Change, 2022 ) . Interventions could also increase the likelihood of buses being able to pull in level with the kerb at stops, allowing safer access for those passengers with reduced mobility.

While the location of new park and ride sites would need to be carefully considered to avoid increases in car use as people drive to these sites, a successful park and ride site can reduce the number of cars in a congested urban environment such as Inverness or Aberdeen. This could reduce the number of accidents that occur on the network through reduced car vehicles kilometres travelled.

If the introduction of this option does encourage a mode shift to public transport, there may be a minor positive impact on accidents as a result of reduce car use. There could additionally be benefits in terms of perceived security concerns, such as for vulnerable people travelling alone.

However, this option will have limited impact on resilience, so overall, it is expected to have a minor positive impact against this objective in both ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

STAG Criteria

1. Environment

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the STAG Environment Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

This option has the potential to have positive impacts on communities by promoting a modal shift to public transport and reducing the number of vehicles on the corridor.

This option could provide a sustainable alternative for road users to access employment, and services which would have positive impacts in terms of health and wellbeing. The reduction in vehicles on the road could also result in a beneficial impact in terms of reducing noise, greenhouse gases and air pollutants; however, this would depend on the location and choice of the bus priority intervention measures.

The option would also have a positive impact on natural resources as it promotes a more sustainable use and management of the existing transport network. However, the construction of new park and ride facilities or new bus lanes/bus gates, for example, could potentially have a negative impact on natural resources depending on the materials chosen and its source.

There is also the potential for minor to moderate negative environmental impacts during construction and operation on the water environment, biodiversity, landscape and visual amenity, agriculture and soils, and cultural heritage, depending on how the various bus priority intervention measures and park and ride facilities are constructed and their precise location. Such impacts could either be direct (such as demolition/land loss/habitat loss) or indirect (such as impacts on setting or views).

Further environmental assessment would be undertaken if such measures are progressed through the design and development process in order to assess the location and scale of specific environmental impacts. Appropriate environmental mitigation and enhancement measures would also be embedded as the design and development process progresses.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact against this criterion under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios. However, this would be subject to the degree of potential localised negative environmental impacts from any new measures implemented to achieve this option.

2. Climate Change

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the STAG Climate Change Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

In the short-term, greenhouse gas emissions would occur due to construction activities undertaken to deliver the option, including indirect emissions from the manufacture and transportation of materials and emissions from fuel combusted by construction plant and vehicles.

However, evidence suggests that implementation of extensive bus lanes can reduce car use by up to 6% ( Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Leaflet 6/01, April 2001 ) . Therefore, in the long term, bus priority measures have the potential to promote a mode shift away from private car use by increasing the attractiveness of buses as a mode of transport. This may contribute to a decrease in associated greenhouse gas emissions during the operation of the proposed measures, therefore contributing to the Scottish Government’s net zero emissions target.

The extent of change in greenhouse gas emissions depends on the location and effectiveness of the new park and ride sites, as certain locations may lead to higher car use generated from people travelling to the site.

Bus priority measures would reduce pressures on operating costs, which could support greater levels of investment in new, lower emission vehicles.

The option has the potential to be vulnerable to the effects of climate change impacting the A96 Trunk Road, for example material deterioration due to high temperatures leading to deterioration of surface such as softening, deformation and cracking, surface water flooding and damage to surfaces from periods of heavy rainfall. However, new infrastructure would be designed in such a way to minimise the potential effects of climate change, to reduce the vulnerability at that location, and the overall impact is expected to be neutral.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion in both ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. Health, Safety and Wellbeing

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the STAG Health, Safety & Wellbeing Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

The NTS2 highlighted that the transport system can help to improve the sustainability of placemaking if it can discourage people from owning or using cars ( Transport Scotland, National Transport Strategy 2, page 59, 2020, ) , which may improve wellbeing by enhancing communities. Given that bus travel typically requires walking to and from stops, this will also increase active travel, which should improve health.

There could also be a slight beneficial impact on accidents if overall car use was reduced. If the option resulted in increased bus patronage, there could additionally be benefits in terms of perceived security concerns, such as for vulnerable people travelling alone. Improved journey times could also deliver minor benefits in terms of access to health and wellbeing infrastructure. Further assessment would be undertaken to identify any impacts on visual amenity as part of the design development process.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion in both ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

4. Economy

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the STAG Economy Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

An economic assessment to calculate the Transport Economic Efficiency (TEE) of this option has not been undertaken at this stage of appraisal as the locations and standard of infrastructure are currently unknown.

There could be a slightly beneficial economic impact if a circle of growth can be unlocked, with priority measures resulting in reduced bus journey times and improved journey time reliability, which may support improved frequency/connectivity, increasing access to education, jobs and services. While it can be difficult to determine causality, an evaluation of Fastlink in Glasgow (Analysis carried out by AECOM for SPT) did identify economic growth in the corridor following scheme completion. Similarly, with Transport for Greater Manchester noting that residential appeal had increased following the completion of the Leigh Guided Busway (Case study interviews carried out to inform STPR2).

A successful park and ride site could also assist economic growth by reducing the number of cars in congested urban environments as studies have found that congestion impacts the economy through lost productivity, fuel wastage and costs associated with delays in transporting goods ( Inrix, Traffic Congestion to Cost the UK Economy More Than £300 Billion Over the Next 16 Years, 2014, ) .

In addition to the potential for economic growth in the areas where bus priority is implemented, this option could deliver positive wider economic impacts in terms of increased employment for those from more deprived households (see Equality and Accessibility), although the impact on specific markets is expected to be neutral.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion in both ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios due to the expected scale of bus priority interventions in particular that could be introduced along the A96 corridor.

5. Equality and Accessibility

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the STAG Equality & Accessibility Criterion scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

There could be a slightly beneficial impact if a circle of growth can be unlocked, with priority measures resulting in reduced bus journey times that may support operator reinvestment in improved public transport network coverage, providing better comparative access to locations with employment, education, healthcare and leisure activities. This may also have a slightly beneficial impact on affordability, if it allows fares to be reduced; however, given the current commercial viability of services in the corridor the latter is potentially unlikely.

There could be a beneficial impact on improving social inclusion, given that 48% of the most deprived households (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile 1) do not have access to a car and are twice as likely to use the bus to travel to work as households in the least deprived three quintiles ( Transport Scotland, Transport and Travel in Scotland 2019: Results from the Scottish Household Survey, September 2020, ) . This would improve comparative access for those affected. However, less than 7% of datazones within the A96 Corridor Review Transport Appraisal Study Area fall within the most deprived quintile so these benefits could be limited by a relative lack of deprivation.

The impact of bus priority measures on the active travel network coverage would depend on the nature and the location of the interventions. Bus priority measures should not be allowed to reduce the active travel network.

Reference should also be made to the SIAs in Section 3.5.

This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion in both ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios. The option may potentially improve comparative access by people group and the public transport network coverage though impacts are likely to be limited as a result of the scale of interventions and a relative lack of deprived households across the A96 corridor.

Deliverability

1. Feasibility

The organisation responsible for delivery will depend on the nature of the measures and their location, with Transport Scotland likely to be responsible for bus priority measures on trunk roads, local authorities likely to be responsible for bus priority measures elsewhere and Regional Transport Partnerships or local authorities likely to be responsible for park and ride sites.

Provision of strategic bus priority measures and park and ride is largely considered feasible, subject to an assessment of specific sites. The targeting of interventions, evaluation of the business case and subsequent construction are in common practice and therefore also raise no concerns regarding feasibility.

The engineering constraints will vary significantly between locations along the A96 corridor, both between, and within communities. This will include various existing residential and business properties, roads, rivers and railways that intersect the route. Any intervention will also have to consider geotechnical constraints, potentially poor ground conditions and various other environmental and planning/land use constraints.

In some instances, the provision of bus priority measures and park and ride facilities may require reallocation of road space away from other modes. Where this is the case, design development would be required to balance the potentially conflicting aspirations for improved bus routes and infrastructure with local access and servicing, active travel connections and placemaking improvements, and aspirations to reduce traffic pollution and congestion.

Despite the constraints and challenges outlined previously, the work undertaken to date indicates that this option is considered feasible.

2. Affordability

Provision of strategic bus priority measures and park and ride generally involves relatively low cost measures when compared against new road construction. The Scottish Government has already committed to long-term investment in bus priority infrastructure. If this demonstrates value for money, funding could be extended, especially if there is evidence of bus priority investment being leveraged to support improvements from operators and local transport authorities.

The cost of bus priority measures or park and ride sites would vary depending on locational constraints that may impact the complexity of construction and therefore a more detailed review at each location would be required to determine the likely cost impact. Costs would also be dependent on a number of other factors, such as localised ground conditions, land purchase and various other engineering and environmental constraints.

The asset owner would be dependent on the location and nature of the measures, with Transport Scotland likely to be responsible for bus priority measures on trunk roads, local authorities likely to be responsible for bus priority measures elsewhere and park and ride sites potentially owned by a Regional Transport Partnership or a local authority. In addition to construction costs, it is likely that the asset owner would take on the operation and maintenance, which will have ongoing costs associated with it and require revenue funding.

3. Public Acceptability

There are public acceptability risks associated with the provision of strategic bus priority measures, especially where this requires reallocation of road space or removal of parking. This could particularly be the case amongst non-bus users, especially if bus use remains low post-COVID-19, and the acceptability of new park and ride sites may depend on their location and scale. It would therefore be essential for promoters to take these points into account when developing interventions. However, bus priority is likely to be popular with bus users and could improve accessibility to employment, education and other services for those without access to a car.

Public consultation undertaken as part of this review indicated general support for bus priority measures and park and rides. Respondents suggested that bus services could be more reliable, the availability of service information could improve, and more sustainable public transport infrastructure could be implemented along the corridor. Of the respondents, 24% considered improving bus services (including bus connections, cost, and comfort of travel) as a priority, with 38% of respondents expressing concerns with the journey time of bus services in comparison to car or van travel (29%). The respondents also expressed a desire for park and ride facilities, with 30% stating that they are 'very dissatisfied' or 'dissatisfied' with the availability of park and ride facilities.

Statutory Impact Assessment Criteria

1. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

An SEA has been prepared and has helped inform the Environment criterion of the STAG appraisal. There is also considerable overlap between the SEA and the Climate Change criterion. The SEA utilises a set of SEA objectives that covers a wide range of environmental topics including Climatic Factors, Air Quality, Noise, Population and Human Health, Material Assets, Water Environment, Biodiversity, Geology and Soils, Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Visual Amenity. The full SEA, including scoring and narrative for each of the Preliminary Appraisal interventions and Detailed Appraisal package is presented in the SEA Draft Environmental Report ( Jacobs AECOM, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Draft Environmental Report - A96 Corridor Review, 2024, ) .

2. Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA)

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the Equalities Impact Assessment scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

Bus priority measures could provide benefits for groups with protected characteristics who depend on public transport for their journeys and are less likely to have access to a car. This includes children, young people, women, disabled people and older people , people from ethnic minority groups and people at risk of deprivation. More reliable and quicker public transport options can help to improve connectivity to key services such as employment, education, healthcare and shopping for these.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA)

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment scores Minor Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Minor Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

Improved bus connectivity could have a beneficial impact on children and young people, given that 16% of children travel to school by bus ( Sustrans, Travel to School in Scotland, June 2020 ) , and children and young people may be more likely to use buses for leisure travel, given that those under 17 will not be able to drive. Free bus travel for those under 22 will also improve the attractiveness of bus, supporting the option.

This option is therefore expected to have a minor positive impact against this criterion, under both the ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

4. Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment (FSDA)

For Bus Priority Measures and Park & Ride, the Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment scores Moderate Positive in the 'With Policy' Scenario and Moderate Positive in the 'Without Policy' Scenario.

There could be a beneficial impact in tackling inequality, with improved public transport connectivity supporting reduced social isolation and improved health and wellbeing. Given that 48% of the most deprived households (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile 1) do not have access to a car and are twice as likely to use the bus to travel to work as households in the least deprived three quintiles ( Transport Scotland, Transport and Travel in Scotland 2019: Results from the Scottish Household Survey, September 2020, ) , the beneficial impacts will be highest for those from the most deprived households. The barriers created through not having access to a car are likely to be exacerbated in rural areas where access to public transport is lower, resulting in barriers to accessing employment, education, healthcare and leisure services. As such, the positive impact of improved public transport for socially excluded groups in these areas is likely to be greater.

Overall, this option is expected to have a moderate positive on this criterion in both the ’With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.