Public Transport
Scotland's public transport network is improving all the time, with dedicated bus lanes and new and improved rail services offering fast, reliable and less polluting ways to travel.
Letting someone else concentrate on the driving means individuals can work or rest en-route and arrive fresher and better prepared.
Scotland's Public Transport network
Public transport in Scotland has come a long way in recent years.
New train services and even brand new lines and stations have opened with more to come in future. On many trains, you'll find at-seat power points and wi-fi access - great for business travellers - while passenger facilities at stations are improving too.
Park and Ride schemes are being built across Scotland, making it easier for car users to catch public transport into our cities. That means we all benefit from less congestion and faster bus journeys on routes that need fewer buses as a result and therefore cause less pollution.
Buses themselves increasingly provide improved facilities such as wi-fi access, leather seats, real-time journey information and better accessibility.
back to topWhy encourage use of Public Transport?
Public transport is often quicker and cheaper than using a car - especially in congested urban areas where parking is limited.
If more people use public transport, we can:
- ease congestion
- reduce noise pollution
- cut exhaust emissions
For businesses and other organisations, developing a culture of preferring public transport to car use can help:
- lower organisational transport costs
- reduce the need for expensive parking lots
- increase productivity by enabling staff to work en-route
- demonstrate commitment to protecting the environment
Easy ways to encourage use of Public Transport
Stuck in cars, it's easy for us to forget how much more pleasant public transport can be than shuffling through traffic. Many people will only need a little encouragement to leave the car at home.
Promote the benefits of public transport
It's always worth reminding staff that, if they take the bus or the train, they could spend the time reading and relaxing or preparing for meetings.
Provide information on public transport to and from your premises
Make information on local bus and train services easily accessible by placing timetables and route maps on notice boards and by including bus and rail links in 'how to find us' information in company brochures and websites.
Consider transport links when choosing venues for meetings and conferences
Make everyone's lives simpler by choosing venues that are well served by trains and buses and circulate clear details of nearby transport links to everyone who will be coming. Start and end times for meetings also need to be considered so that the greatest number of people will be able to use public transport to attend.
Try out these door-to-door personal journey planners:
Public Transport & your Travel Plan
Tailored to the specific needs of your organisation, staff, clients and visitors, Travel Plans are integrated packages of measures that you design to promote more sustainable transport choices for your staff, visitors and suppliers.
Formalising a Travel Plan for your organisation will help you get the maximum benefit from encouraging alternative ways to travel.
Ajala used to be a bit sniffy about buses but ever since her manager insisted they jump the No.16 to a briefing session - "so we can look over each-others notes" - she's become a regular bus user. "Why waste time driving when I could be reading or catching up on my email?" Ajala can't use public transport all the way to work but she does use the park and ride on the edge of town. "Thanks to some lobbying by the company, there's a new bus stop outside the building so, with the bus lanes, it's quicker than driving all the way - and cheaper. Mad not to, really."