Chamber and committees

Ferry Fleet

Since 2015, improvements to the existing CalMac ferry fleet have been undertaken consisting of upgrades and refurbishments of a value of around £8m. In addition, three new vessels, with a total value of around £55m, have entered service: the MV Loch Seaforth in 2015, the MV Catriona in 2016 and the MV Carvoria in 2017. Furthermore, there are two major dual-fuel vessels currently under construction at Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) in Port Glasgow with a total contract value of £97m.

Harbours

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has responsibility on behalf of the Scottish Ministers for 26 of the ports that CalMac operate from. CMAL undertake on-going inspections and maintenance and repair works to the facilities at these locations which include linkspans, passenger access systems, piers, fenders, electric vehicle charging points and navigation aids. Expenditure by CMAL since 2015 has been around £13.9m.

CMAL have also completed several significant upgrade and redevelopment capital investment projects in this timeframe at ports including Brodick, Gourock, Kennacraig, Lochaline, Port Ellen and Wemyss Bay. CMAL has invested £37.7m on these and other projects, of which £23.7m was in 2016-17.

The Brodick redevelopment project has recently been completed with £30m of public investment from CMAL, Transport Scotland, North Ayrshire Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

In addition, CMAL have several capital projects on-going or in the pipeline including Colintraive and Rhubodach, Lochranza and Portavadie. They are also investing in network wide CCTV and Wind & Weather monitoring equipment.

Furthermore, there has been around £30m invested in the port infrastructure at the independent ports of Stornoway Port Authority and Ullapool Harbour Trust, the majority of which has been funded by grants from Transport Scotland. These projects were completed in 2015.

We are currently working across portfolios and with other partners, including VisitScotland and Forrest Enterprise Scotland, to maximise marine, coastal, tourism and health opportunities for delivering a long distance walking and cycling path, building on the success of the North Coast 500.

This project will be developed over the next year, with delivery starting as soon as possible. As planning is at an early stage, and local consultation with communities and other interested parties will be vital, it would be wrong to make assumptions on location and spend at this time.

Road safety is of paramount importance in the operation of the trunk road network. Safer road design, improved speed management, continued maintenance and a better provision for vulnerable road users are amongst the steps being taken to reduce the numbers of casualties. The safety performance of the trunk road network is assessed on an annual basis.

Following the annual assessment in 2016 Dalgarven was identified as an area for further investigation. Transport Scotland attended a meeting with Ruth Maguire MSP and a number of representatives of the community on 3 March 2017 where a commitment was given to examine any potential measures to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents through the area.

This investigation has been progressed and possible measures to be discussed with the local community and elected members include:

• Vehicle Activated Signs – junction warning signs

• Improved visibility at junctions from clearing existing foliage

• Relocate the existing bus stop into a layby

• New footway provision adjacent to the carriageway

• Rationalisation of the existing signage

• Introduction of a gateway type feature to highlight Dalgarven

Conclusion of the investigation will confirm the recommended measures. This will also allow costs to be estimated and the works to be programmed.

In ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) we already have one of the most comprehensive EV networks in Europe with over 700 charge points, including over 175 rapid chargers. The ChargePlace Scotland website (www.chargeplacescotland.org) provides location and availability details of all these charge points. We do not hold a central record of non-CPS charge points.

We allocate funding to a range of initiatives to encourage electric car and van usage. Funding is provided to all 32 local authorities, distributed according to formulae approved by COSLA. Also all consumer and commercial incentives are available nationwide.

A more detailed update is available in ‘Switched On Scotland Phase Two: An Action Plan For Growth’ which is available at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/switched-on-scotland-phase-two-an-action-plan-for-growth/

Phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032 is a vision for all of Scotland rural, island, urban for individuals and businesses to reap the benefits of this cleaner greener future.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10921 on
12 September 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx'

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-12461 on
15 November 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Information provided by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) suggests there are around 60 staff and around 230 officers based in Scotland who would transfer to Police Scotland, with the details currently being refined as part of the work of the Joint Programme Board. We have no information on staff leaving as a result of the merger.

Transport Scotland has not undertaken any assessment of the cost of improving the junctions on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven, other than at Laurencekirk, where design work is being taken forward to deliver a grade separated junction on the A90. It is therefore not possible to provide a cost estimate at this time.

Average speed cameras on the A90 are expected to improve road safety.

The cameras are already encouraging improved driver behaviour and better speed limit compliance, which will lead to fewer camera detections, fewer penalty points, fewer drivers fined, and ultimately reduce the number of people being killed or injured on Scotland’s roads.