Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has been reviewing the Regional Transport Strategies since he took up the position in May, following their submission at the end of March.

Speaking to Holyrood, Alison McInnes, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and former chair of Nestrans, the North East of Scotland regional transport partnership, said:

“[The SNP] have undone a lot of work for no good reason, they have taken away well planned projects and jeopardized well planned projects, for the sake of things that seem to come off the cuff.

“[There’s been] no dialogue with people about it, no recognition that there are prepared plans sitting on the minister’s desk, still waiting for approval. We’re still waiting for the regional transport partnerships to have their plans approved.

“I’m sure it’s political, because having spoken to Tavish Scott, the previous transport minister, there was no reason why they couldn’t have been approved. Clearly it’s difficult for the minister to approve regional transport partnership plans that have a whole lot of projects that he wants to axe in them.

“These are well thought out plans that have a lot of buy in regionally and locally, and I think they should be supported, that’s where we should be taking our plans from.

“I think it’s unfortunate, you’ve got to accept that transport planning needs a long-term commitment and we can’t stop-start like this.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As a new minister coming in, the Transport Minister obviously has to take a close look at all transport strategies from across Scotland before giving his formal approval. He is in the process of doing that just now and we hope to make an announcement shortly.

“These decisions are not political. In any approval of a strategy, the minister would not be giving his support or otherwise for individual elements or proposals contained within them, but an approval of the overall strategic direction of each region in Scotland.”

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