Realism needed on car use, says Hyslop, as auditors say target set to be missed
A report from Audit Scotland warned there has been minimal progress and no clear leadership.
There is a need to be “realistic” about what is achievable in cutting Scotland’s car use, the Transport Secretary has said, after auditors said the Government’s target is likely to be missed.
However, Fiona Hyslop did not directly confirm if the Scottish Government’s target of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030 will be dropped.
Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission said there has been a lack of leadership and no clear plan for meeting the “ambitious and challenging” target.
The assessment came despite John Swinney’s assurance last year that the 2030 target for reducing Scotland’s car kilometres by 20% can still be met.
Car use has rebounded since the pandemic and use of public transport has decreased, the report said, while spending on active travel has not necessarily impacted car use.
On Thursday, Ms Hyslop spoke to journalists about the report, saying the 2030 target is “challenging” and needs collective leadership.
She said: “I think we’ve got to be realistic, we’ve got to take the advice of the Climate Change Committee.
“It is challenging – since that target was set we’ve had the interruption of the pandemic, which had major, major impacts on our transport sector.”
The fact more people are working at home means fewer people need to use public transport, she said.
Ms Hyslop said: “There’s not one silver bullet that will tackle this as a policy issue.”
Asked about the 2030 car use target, she said: “In terms of this target, I think we need to work with local authorities to see what’s achievable and take the advice of the Climate Change Committee.
“If they’re saying that’s unlikely, then we have to be realistic about what we’re doing.
“But the most important thing is to have action and delivery, and that’s what we’re doing in our discussions with local councils.”
In November, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation to remove a separate interim emissions reduction target for 2030, after experts said it was no longer credible.
She acknowledged that encouraging a modal shift away from cars is difficult given people will often prefer the “comfort” of their own vehicle.
Ms Hyslop noted the Budget’s commitments to public transport and active travel, urging Labour to back the Government’s spending plans.
Audit Scotland’s report was sharply critical of the “lack of leadership” on the 20% target, saying there is no costed delivery plans.
Domestic transport is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland, accounting for 28% of all emissions.
In 2022, the Government said its efforts to reduce car use by 20% against the 2019 baseline were “stepping up a gear”.
Last year, the Government axed its trial of scrapping peak rail fares, which was meant to encourage people to use public transport rather than cars, after saying the £40 million price tag could not be justified.
Following this decision in August, Mr Swinney said he believed the 2030 target could still be met, telling the PA news agency it “obviously requires changes in behaviour from members of the public”.
He said achieving this was “not focused simply on one particular policy intervention”.
Audit Scotland said in order to achieve the car kilometre target, car traffic levels will need to decrease by 7.3 billion kilometres to 29.3 billion.
The last time car use was at this level was 1994.
Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said earlier: “With just five years left to deliver this crucial climate commitment, the speed of action cannot remain stuck in first gear.
“Slashing car emissions means bold action to make public transport the easy, affordable choice, and that requires more investment.”
