Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-40133

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the views of people with sight loss are considered when reaching decisions regarding the design and approval of cycling infrastructure such as bus stop bypasses, which are also known as "floating" bus stops.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the opinions of disabled people, including those with sight loss, are fully considered in the design and approval of active travel infrastructure. The second National Transport Strategy sets out key priorities for the transport system in Scotland, including ‘reducing inequalities’ and ‘improving our health and wellbeing’ as two of its key priorities’, and places inclusive design at the heart of transport planning. When considering designs such as bus stop bypasses, delivery partners are required to ensure that funded projects have undertaken all statutory procedures, including but not limited to an Equality Impact Assessment. Through this process, the Scottish Government expects delivery bodies to undertake meaningful engagement with equality groups to ensure that lived experience, including that of people with sight loss, directly informs design choices. This helps to ensure that active travel infrastructure supports safe, independent and confident travel for everyone.

Question reference: S6W-40131

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to follow in Scotland, or take action in response to, the forthcoming guidance from Active Travel England on the accessibility of bus stop bypasses, which are also known as "floating" bus stops.

The current guidance for Scotland was published in 2021 in the ‘Cycling by Design’ document and includes recommendations for incorporating cycling facilities where these interact with bus stops.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges that cycle infrastructure at bus stops, including bus stop bypasses and shared use bus boarders, can present for some people. It is also conscious of the benefits that connected, coherent and protected cycle networks can achieve. Recognising this complexity Transport Scotland commissioned independent research in 2021, which was jointly funded by Department for Transport, to investigate issues of inclusion where bus stop bypasses have been introduced. The study reported in 2023, with recommendations on developing the design guidance in Scotland to enhance bus stop accessibility.

The forthcoming updates to Scotland’s design guidance, supported by this research and ongoing engagement including with disabled people, are to focus largely on emphasising best practice messages. Transport Scotland will continue to engage directly with UK Department for Transport and review any updated guidance from Active Travel England, in relation to the UK Government Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-40130

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will pause the roll-out of bus stop bypasses, which are also known as "floating" bus stops, pending the development of updated accessibility guidance, in light of the UK Government doing so.

Bus stop bypasses are a specific type of layout which divert the protected cycle track around the back of the bus stop waiting area, ensuring that bus passengers are not affected by cycle traffic as they board and alight the bus. The Scottish Government is not aware of any intention of the UK Government to pause the installation of such types of bus stops, and does not intend to pause their installation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government understands that the UK Department for Transport intends to write to local authorities in England to request a voluntary pause in new installations where passengers board and alight directly into a cycle track. The Scottish Government does not currently intend to pause the roll-out of these facilities and already provide guidance on their use through the ‘Cycling by Design’ document. Their provision should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis by the Transport Authority.

Question reference: S6W-40132

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue updated guidance regarding the requirement for physically separated cycling infrastructure to avoid conflicts at bus stops.

The current guidance for Scotland in ‘Cycling by Design’ emphasises the importance of physically separated cycling infrastructure, to avoid or minimise interaction with live motor traffic and with pedestrians at bus stops. Transport Scotland, commissioned independent research in 2021, which was jointly funded by Department for Transport, to investigate issues of inclusion where bus stop bypasses have been introduced. Forthcoming updated guidance following this published research and ongoing engagement on accessibility, including with disabled people, will emphasise this message and further highlight that it can be beneficial to provide cycle routes and bus routes on separate corridors, to reduce interactions.

Question reference: S6O-04942

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to address the illegal use of off-road bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.

Question reference: S6W-38406

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 30 May 2025 regarding the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, which local authorities received funding, and how much each received.

Since 2011, the Scottish Government has provided over £65 million to support the development of public EV charging across Scotland. As a direct result of this funding, and increasing private sector investment, Scotland now has over 6,900 public charge points, a target for 6,000 public Charge points was met in October 2024, two years ahead of schedule. Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, with, on a per head of population basis, more rapid public EV charge points than any other part of the UK except the South East of England.

Through our £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund we are continuing to supporting local authorities to work in partnership with the private sector to expand public EV charging across Scotland, with public funding prioritising those areas of Scotland less likely to benefit from stand-alone private sector investment in public EV charging infrastructure, including rural and island communities.

Through the EV Infrastructure Fund, each local authority or collaboration or local authorities has received the following funding to support the expansion of the EV network:

Angus and Perth & Kinross collaboration, £1,987,678. This is expected to deliver an additional 183 charge points across the region.
North of Scotland collaboration (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Highland and Moray Councils), £7,236,380. This is expected to deliver an additional 589 charge points across the region.
Glasgow City Region (East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils). £3,613,960. This is expected to deliver an additional 3,349 charge points across the region.
Ayrshires Collaboration (East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire Councils), £2,891,168. This is expected to deliver an additional 307 charge points across the region.
Dundee City Council, £309,768. This is expected to deliver an additional 129 charge points across the region.
Funding for the following collaborations has yet to be announced:
South of Scotland (City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian Councils)
HITRANS (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands Councils) collaboration with Argyll & Bute Council.

Local authorities are taking forward public procurement to deliver their respective projects.

East Lothian Council and Stirling Council took the decision not to take forward projects citing high levels of existing public charging infrastructure across their respective local authority areas.

Transport Scotland EVIF page weblink: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund | Transport Scotland

Question reference: S6O-04852

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to undertake a regulatory check of existing Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 powers to allow local authorities and regional transport partnerships to implement local road user charging schemes.

Question reference: S6O-04781

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of any additional funding to meet the cost increases for MV Glen Rosa that were recently announced by Ferguson Marine.

Question reference: S6W-37747

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed that the MV Glen Rosa would be delayed until Q2 2026.

Scottish Government officials informed Ministers on the content of Ferguson Marine’s board papers relating to the recommended operational plan for MV Glen Rosa on 26 March 2025.

Following a Board meeting, the Chair of Ferguson Marine briefed the Deputy First Minister on the updated delivery plan; and the Chief Financial Officer of Ferguson Marine wrote to the NZET committee to report that a “further stage of review and assurance activity would commence to ensure the MV Glen Rosa operational plan has been fully optimised from the perspective of costs and handover date.”

On 12 May, Graeme Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of Ferguson Marine, informed the Deputy First Minister in writing that delivery of the MV Glen Rosa would be delayed until Q2 2026.

Question reference: S6W-37750

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the urgent question by Kate Forbes on 14 May 2025, whether it will provide an outline of the work of the small review team that will now meet weekly to discuss the completion of the MV Glen Rosa.

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