A NATIONAL transport agency is to be created in Scotland in a new approach intended to bring about “dramatic” improvements, MSPs were told yestertday.
The proposal was unveiled by Nicol Stephen, the Transport Minister, who said that the agency would operate alongside a new network of regional transport partnerships, whose members would be drawn from local councils and business interests.
A White Paper setting out the detail of the proposals was published as he announced the plans at Holyrood.
In his statement to MSPs Mr Stephen also repeated his determination to ending “the discredited toll regime” on the Skye Bridge.
“I believe that we can end that goal by the end of this year,” he told MSPs - although he offered no immediate explanation of whether that meant the complete abolition of Skye Bridge tolls.
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His statement to Parliament also included a pledge to take action over unnecessary roadworks by utility companies.
He said the starting point for improvement would be the Scottish roadworks register, developed by road authorities and utilities but not used well enough at present.
On bridge tolls, the minister told Parliament a two-phase review would take place of Scotland’s tolled bridges — Skye, Erskine, Tay and Forth.
The first phase would “assess” all existing tolls , including the way that any changes could help reduce pollution and congestion and would be complete by autumn.
The second phase would examine “the broader issues of their management, operation and maintenance”, and the overall review would be complete by next summer.
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The new national agency would be directly accountable to ministers.