Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland Annual Report

Document summary

Transport plays a vital role in all our lives. It enables us to get to work, education or training; to access health and social care services; to see friends and family; take part in leisure activities; and in doing so, prevents loneliness and social isolation. Accessible and affordable transport is not in itself a human right in international conventions, but it is a necessary requirement in order to enable our human rights. A rights-based approach to transport should start from the principle that access to suitable transport, no matter where in Scotland you live, your differing needs or capabilities, or your level of income, should be seen as a necessary requirement in order to achieve other human rights. The present transport system does not yet deliver this level of access for all and I would argue that this must be addressed and addressed at a much faster pace and with urgency. Scottish citizens have been given a commitment within the National Transport Strategy (NTS2) to reduce inequalities. This is supported by the Accessible Travel Framework (Going Further) and the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).