The draft City Mobility Plan and City Plan 2030 issued by City of Edinburgh Council set out measures aimed at achieving a carbon-neutral position for the city by 2030 – but these measures are unlikely to secure the major shift away from car use to public transport which carbon-neutrality will require.
The biggest impediment to boosting public transport use in the city is the very slow average speed achieved by our buses, and the fact that most journeys within the city are far quicker by car than by bus. Without a comprehensive network of fast sustainable public transport, car use will continue to rise. Simply relying on diesel buses using congested roads is not the answer.
The ‘Keeping Edinburgh Moving’ report by Robert Drysdale sets out a more ambitious vision for a public transport network in our city designed to deliver that vital modal shift away from car use.