Thursday February 3rd 2022
The South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran) wants to hear people’s views on its draft regional transport strategy.
The consultation is open until 11 February 2022, so there is still time for the public to submit their views and help shape the region’s transport strategy.
The draft strategy includes transport policies for eight statutory local authority partners: City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
It sets out a framework for how transport and mobility will be provided, developed and improved in the region to make it more sustainable and economically active for the next 10 years and beyond.
The draft strategy aims to create an efficient, inclusive, connected and affordable system that will help people to be healthier and deliver the region’s contribution to net zero emissions targets.
Gordon Edgar, chair of SEStran said:
“Transport affects how all of us live our daily lives, from where we choose to live and work, how we take children to school or visit the cinema, where we can get to easily if we are disabled and how we’ll get around as we get older.
“We want to hear from as many people as possible to ensure our policies for the south-east of Scotland meet their needs and address their concerns.
“Whether it’s better connections for rural areas, charging points for electric vehicles, safer cycling routes or more frequent and affordable bus and rail services, we want to hear how people from each of the local authorities feel about our proposals.
“The pandemic changed how we work and travel, but we must prepare our transport system for the new normal and a net zero future.”
Edgar said the strategy applies to businesses as much to local residents.
“Businesses need to be able to move goods and their staff from place to place, and for customers to be able to visit easily and sustainably. The draft strategy will be of particular interest to employers across the eight council areas.
“The pandemic changed how we lived and worked, but as we get back to normal some of the same transport issues remain. We’ve drafted a flexible strategy that will safeguard our economy and how we live in the next 10 years and beyond.”
SEStran has spent two years collecting information on the transport challenges facing the region, and the draft strategy outlines policies that could address them.
People can read the draft strategy on the SEStran website. A Virtual Engagement hub has been created so that people can easily view all the relevant information and give their views.
The consultation is open until 5pm on 11 February 2022.
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