Tag: transport

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Never mind Barnett, the Lower Thames Crossing to cost Scots taxpayers between £300m and £1bn!

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In the Guardian today: The UK’s public spending watchdog has said it plans to investigate the Lower Thames Crossing, as campaigners voice concerns over the rising costs of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. The head of the National Audit Office (NAO) said he anticipated the agency would “examine and report” on the planned £11bn road tunnel between Kent and Essex, and that work to monitor the project had already started. It emerged last month that £174m of additional public money was being made available for the scheme, which is estimated to cost more per mile than the HS2 high-speed rail link from … Continue reading Never mind Barnett, the Lower Thames Crossing to cost Scots taxpayers between £300m and £1bn!

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Surge in e bike offences is exacerbation of wider county lines drug gangs plague from England

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From Aberdeenshire Live, last week: Fifty people have been charged in connection with a Police Scotland crackdown on illegal e-bikes in Aberdeen. The city’s Community Action Team identified 154 crimes during a three-week crackdown on illegal e-bikes, with dozens of people charged. Between Monday, May 18 and Friday, June 5, officers working on Operation Armour patrolled known crime hotspots, targeted offenders and gathered intelligence. The initiative followed an increase in reports from the public about illegal vehicle use across the city. https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/50-people-charged-amid-huge-11007759 This is a further exacerbation of the county lines drug gangs plague, based in English cites, now into every corner of Scotland and … Continue reading Surge in e bike offences is exacerbation of wider county lines drug gangs plague from England

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Road deaths halve and offences fall by a third as ‘SNP’ Road Safety Framework achieves significant results with 5 years to go

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In the Edinburgh Reporter February 2026 based on a Sunday Mail report: Scotland’s roads are becoming deadlier amid rising fatalities and surging traffic offences, latest figures reveal. Police Scotland say 92 people were killed in car, motorcycle and cycling collisions between April and September 2025 – nine more than the same period last year, an increase of almost 11%. They included one child and six cyclists. Motorcyclist deaths rose to the highest level for five years with 27 during the period. The news comes as reckless drivers are increasingly flouting the law, with significant rises in drink and drug driving, speeding, dangerous driving and … Continue reading Road deaths halve and offences fall by a third as ‘SNP’ Road Safety Framework achieves significant results with 5 years to go

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Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

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in their council tax bills of 9.5%. That means an annual bill for an average home going up to £1 519. The local council says it’s got a budget gap of £4.5 million and the council tax increase would bring in another £1.5 million. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. ‘Local’ council? Tell us more. Like this: and this: How competent have these ‘Independent’ councillors been? Financial and Investment Losses: In 1991, it lost £35 million in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International collapse, leading to a sharp council tax increase and the convener’s resignation. An independent … Continue reading Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

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Road deaths halve and offences fall by a third as ‘SNP’ [sic] Road Safety Framework achieves significant results with 5 years to go

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Edinburgh Reporter yesterday based on a Sunday Mail report: Scotland’s roads are becoming deadlier amid rising fatalities and surging traffic offences, latest figures reveal. Police Scotland say 92 people were killed in car, motorcycle and cycling collisions between April and September 2025 – nine more than the same period last year, an increase of almost 11%. They included one child and six cyclists. Motorcyclist deaths rose to the highest level for five years with 27 during the period. The news comes as reckless drivers are increasingly flouting the law, with … Continue reading Road deaths halve and offences fall by a third as ‘SNP’ [sic] Road Safety Framework achieves significant results with 5 years to go

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UK Labour deny England’s under-22’s the ‘transformative benefit’ of Scotland’s free bus scheme as it hits more than 200 million journeys

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From BBC Business two days ago: A proposed plan to trial free bus passes for under-22s in England will not go ahead as it is “unaffordable” at the moment, the government has said. The trial was one of a number of recommendations put forward by the Transport Committee, a cross-party group of backbench MPs,in a report this August – with the suggestion it would boost access to jobs and education. In its response, published on Friday, the government said no money was available for such a scheme during the current spending review period, which … Continue reading UK Labour deny England’s under-22’s the ‘transformative benefit’ of Scotland’s free bus scheme as it hits more than 200 million journeys

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On older drivers and road deaths, two new Labour Government initiatives, one ill-researched and the other copying the SNP 11 years too late

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Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA First, on age, under 30 year-olds have the highest accident and fatality rates by some way: https://toptests.co.uk/driving-statistics/ Second, on alcohol and road traffic accidents, around 300 die in accidents where at least one driver was over the limit, around 3 300 since the SNP reduced the level and politicians in England prevented the same: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2022/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2022 Third, Scotland, not mentioned in the BBC UK reporting today and … Continue reading On older drivers and road deaths, two new Labour Government initiatives, one ill-researched and the other copying the SNP 11 years too late

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‘Alarming’: ‘Scots’ newspaper tries to suggest Scots nationalised railway provider is to blame for pay-outs for service disruption caused by UK Government-owned Network Rail

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Headlining in the Herald today, the above, and: The publicly-funded owner of Scotland’s railways has had to pay out £220m in compensation over five years to train operators including ScotRail because of disruption to services, The Herald can reveal. The huge bill is £106m higher than what was allowed for in Network Rail’s delivery plan which outlines the activities, expenditure and proposals for the maintenance, renewal, and operation of the nation’s mainline railway infrastructure. You’d be forgiven for thinking this has something to do with the Scottish government but in reality it’s all to do with failures by Network Rail, … Continue reading ‘Alarming’: ‘Scots’ newspaper tries to suggest Scots nationalised railway provider is to blame for pay-outs for service disruption caused by UK Government-owned Network Rail

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Update to BBC Scotland and Alex Cole-Hamilton – Nearly two-thirds of delays are due to UK Network Rail which then compensates ScotRail to enable it to pay passengers less than 1p per on average from its own funds

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Cole-Hamilton off the rails From https://x.com/Caymanguy1234: Network Rail pays ScotRail if they are at fault. I wonder how much ScotRail received, compared to the payout to passengers? I haven’t been able to do that precisely but this is helpful. From Train Operating Company key statistics April 2022 to March 2023, Office of Rail and Road in August 2023: Network Rail was responsible for 410 942 minutes of delays due to infrastructure faults while ScotRail was only responsible for 241 688, in 2021-2022. In 2022-2023, it was 483 533 and 275 963. https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/2244/scotrail-key-statistics-2022-23.pdf Network Rail was thus responsible for 63% of … Continue reading Update to BBC Scotland and Alex Cole-Hamilton – Nearly two-thirds of delays are due to UK Network Rail which then compensates ScotRail to enable it to pay passengers less than 1p per on average from its own funds

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The A9 funding – regardless, deaths plummet, dualed sections no more safe and Scotland’s roads are safest in UK but BBC Scotland try to deceive you with out-of-date statistics

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland all day today: A group of MSPs say they are concerned not enough money will be available to complete a £3bn project to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth by 2035. In a new report, a Holyrood committee said wrangles over funding had already “significantly” contributed to the original 2025 target being missed. Convener and Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw said there was “no conspiracy to frustrate” the road but there been a lack of scrutiny and focus. and Single carriageway sections are being dualled to improve journey times and safety. In 2022, … Continue reading The A9 funding – regardless, deaths plummet, dualed sections no more safe and Scotland’s roads are safest in UK but BBC Scotland try to deceive you with out-of-date statistics