Hansard

I am delighted to have secured the debate, as it gives Aberdeen and the north-east the opportunity to have the most pressing transport issues debated during the time when the Parliament is sitting in Aberdeen.

Thanks to lots of active lobbying and to the support of past and present Scottish ministers with responsibility for transport, Aberdeen transport issues have gone from being relatively low profile to being among the top 10 transport priorities for Scotland. Within three years, the profile of those issues has received more attention than in the previous three decades.

Transport is the key issue. I want to see seamless travel and real travel choices being made available across Aberdeen. One third of households in Aberdeen do not own a car and, for many people, public transport is vital. We need a regional transport strategy that is inclusive, whether people are travelling by air, sea, road or rail or on foot. All forms of transport have to be improved to allow seamless transfer between, for instance, car and bus or air and rail. Seamless travel and real travel choices are also needed to safeguard the environment, improve our quality of life, support our economy and make Aberdeen a truly sustainable city.

There has been much talk about and media coverage of the long-anticipated western peripheral route. However, to resolve fully the transport issues in Aberdeen and the north-east, we need a fully integrated transport system. That is what the north east of Scotland transport partnership has proposed in its plan for a modern transport system.

Although the solutions are wider than the provision of just one road, it is beyond question that the western peripheral route is a key component of the NESTRANS proposals. It is vital for the Aberdeen economy that the growing congestion problem is solved. However, solving congestion is about more than road building. Aberdeen has close links to Houston, Texas, which is a typical American city, but one in which, despite endless freeways, congestion remains a major problem.

Across the north-east, traffic problems are expected to soar by 34 per cent over the next 20 years. By putting in place the NESTRANS regional strategy, we should see a decrease in traffic volumes. NESTRANS has been extremely effective. It has brought together Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and Scottish Enterprise Grampian. The partnership has now set out a 25-year comprehensive transport plan for Aberdeen and the north-east. The modern transport system that is proposed by NESTRANS will meet the social, environmental and economic needs of the north-east.

There has been wide consultation with the business community and the general population on the NESTRANS plan and the plan has been received positively. Over the past few months, supported by funding from the Scottish Executive, extensive surveys have been undertaken to identify the nature of traffic in Aberdeen. By spring 2003, NESTRANS will know precisely the volume, flow, direction and destination of traffic in Aberdeen and the north-east.

By that time, we will have some of the best-quality information on traffic in Scotland. That will be vital in developing the strategic case for further investment. As a result of Aberdeen being included in the Scottish transport model, which previously extended only to cities in the central belt, the strategic transport needs of the region will be assessed on a level playing field with the rest of Scotland.

I believe that the possible routes for the northern leg of the western peripheral route are to be made public next week. Successful progress is already being made in some areas of the NESTRANS plan. High-quality public transport is being developed. For the first time in a generation, the number of passengers using bus services in the city has increased significantly. Furthermore, our bus services are now clean, safe, reliable and less damaging to the environment, not to mention being accessible to wheelchair users, parents with buggies and elderly people. However, we still need to resolve some issues about ticket pricing on bus services in Aberdeen.

However, what is good value are the park-and-ride schemes. For example, the Bridge of Don scheme has been running for 10 years and usage is increasing all the time. Last month, approximately 4,000 passengers a week used the scheme, which took 2,500 cars off the road. Moreover, the new service from Kingswells has seen an increase in customer numbers of about 15 per cent. The growth in the use of park-and-ride schemes is extremely promising, and I look forward to the further development of the remaining park-and-rides around the city.

NESTRANS has also developed plans for an Aberdeen crossrail, with a half-hour service running between Inverurie and Stonehaven and a new railway station at Kintore. Personally, I would like to see further stops at Altens industrial estate and Persley.

A further component of the NESTRANS plan is the development of rail freight, which is another way of moving goods to market while getting off the road. Finally, there are important initiatives to increase road safety and reduce the number of people, especially children, who are injured or killed in road accidents. The safer routes to school initiative and the introduction of the "twenty's plenty" scheme spring to mind.

To have a sustainable city, we need an integrated transport system that is accessible to all, meets the whole community's needs and respects the high quality of life that we value in Aberdeen. It is vital that we have transport choices that reflect the differing needs of all citizens and organisations in the city. Aberdeen's economic importance was made clear in this morning's debate on the oil and gas industry. I hope that, when he responds to the debate, the minister will make it clear that resolving Aberdeen's growing congestion is high on his priority list. I ask him to consider the request that the Transport and the Environment Committee and I have made to rank Scotland's top 10 transport priorities. I know that there will be discussions about the spending review over the coming weeks, and I hope that the minister will give due recognition to the importance of improving Aberdeen's transport infrastructure. Only with a modern transport system in place can Aberdeen continue to enjoy the benefits and rewards that it is currently so fortunate to receive.