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1. Introduction
1.1 The tables that follow provide a summary of the trends in passenger and freight transport, and some other vehicle related statistics (a new table added in this edition), since 1975 in most cases. The series are repeated in index form to facilitate comparison of the trends for the different modes.
2. Passenger traffic - main points
2.1 The volume of car traffic on major roads (Motorways and A roads) has more than doubled, from an estimated 9,300 million vehicle kilometres in 1975 to 19,500 million vehicle kilometres in 1998. It is estimated to have risen in every year apart from 1979 and 1998 (when the estimates suggest that there may have been slight falls). (Table H1)
2.2 The number of passenger journeys on local bus services has halved, from 891 million in 1975 to 438 million in 1997-98. There were falls in every year apart from 1985, 1987 and 1988, when it appeared that the fall in patronage might be levelling-off, but since then there has been a 32% reduction. (Table H1)
2.3 The number of rail passenger journeys has also fallen, from 66 million in 1975 to an estimated 58 million in 1997-98. Since the early 1980s, with the odd exception, passenger numbers have remained between 50 million and 55 million per year. (Table H1)
2.4 The volume of air passenger traffic increased from 4.2 million terminal passengers in 1975 to 15.2 million in 1998. There have been increases in every year apart from 1982, 1985 and 1991. (Table H1)
3. Freight traffic - main points
3.1 The amount of freight carried by road fluctuated between 1975 and 1987, rising to 172 million tonnes per year in 1976 and falling to 128 million tonnes per year in 1986. Since then, it has been more stable, varying between 149 million tonnes (in 1991) and 162 million tonnes (in 1996). The total of 157 million tonnes in 1997 was the same as the average for the period from 1988 to 1996, and was 5% less than the 1975 figure. (Table H2)
3.2 The volume of rail freight traffic fell from 16 million tonnes in 1975 to 5 million tonnes in 1993, before rising to 7 million tonnes in 1997. (Table H2)
3.3 Coastal shipping rose rapidly, from 5 million tonnes in 1975 to 34 million tonnes in 1980. Since then, the total has fluctuated, rising to 37 million and falling to 29 million, before rising again to 40 million in 1996. (Table H2)
3.4 With a few exceptions, the annual total freight lifted on inland waterways has been around 10-11 million tonnes. (Table H2)
3.5 The amount of oil carried in pipelines rose rapidly to 23 million tonnes in 1977, and has fluctuated since then between 21 million tonnes and 30 million tonnes per year. (Table H2)
4. Other vehicle related statistics - main points
4.1 The number of vehicles licensed has increased from an estimated 1.3 million in 1975 to 2.1 million in 1998. There have been increases in almost every year. (Table H3)
4.2 The number of injury road accidents has fallen substantially over the last twenty years. Since 1979, there have been falls in most years, however the drop in accidents appears to be levelling off. In 1975 there were around 20,700 accidents, rising to 23,100 in 1979 before falling to 16,100 in 1996. (Table H3)
4.3 When allowance is made for the facts that only northbound crossings on the Forth Road Bridge have been counted since 1997, and only southbound crossings on the Tay Bridge have been counted since 1990, the number of crossings on toll bridges in 1998 is about 3 times the number in 1975. (Table H3)
5. Notes, Sources and Further Information
5.1 In general, notes and definitions of these statistics, and details of the sources of the statistics and where further information may be found appear at the start of the chapter on each topic. This section, therefore, only covers matters which are not dealt with in the earlier chapters.
5.2 Passenger Traffic
5.2.1 Car Traffic on major roads: Chapter 6 describes the methods used to estimate the volume of car traffic on major roads in Scotland for 1983 and subsequent years. As those methods cannot be used to estimate car traffic in Scotland for earlier years, The Scottish Executive had to make ad-hoc estimates for the years from 1975 to 1982. These ad-hoc estimates were calculated using the rate of change in the volume of traffic for Great Britain as a whole, adjusted to take account of changes in the number of vehicles licensed in Scotland relative to the number for Great Britain as a whole. The estimates for 1975 to 1982 therefore indicate the likely level of traffic on major roads in Scotland in those years, and may well be less accurate than the estimates for later years.
5.2.2 Bus Passengers: Chapter 2 describes the method used to collect these statistics with effect from the 1985-86 financial year. A different method was used for 1984 and earlier years: the figures relate to calendar years and, prior to 1986, the term "stage services" was used (rather than "local services").
5.2.3 Rail Passengers: See Chapter 8. The statistics relate to financial years with effect from 1985-86. The figure for 1984 is derived from a total for the fifteen-month period 1 January 1984 to 31 March 1985, by scaling this down to an estimate for a twelve-month period. The figures for 1983 and earlier years are for calendar years.
5.2.4 Air Passengers: Chapter 9 describes these statistics.
5.3 Freight Traffic
5.3.1 Road Freight: Chapter 3 describes these statistics. There is a small discontinuity between the figures for 1986 and 1987: the former exclude freight whose destination is Northern Ireland, and the latter include such freight. As Table 3.1 shows, the amount involved is a very small percentage of the total.
5.3.2 Rail Freight: See Chapter 8. The statistics relate to financial years with effect from 1985-86. The figure for 1984 is derived from a total for the fifteen-month period from 1 January 1984 to 31 March 1985, by scaling this down to an estimate for a twelve-month period. The figures for 1983 and earlier years are for calendar years.
5.3.3 Coastal shipping: covers freight on coastwise voyages for which either the origin or the destination (or both) is in Scotland - i.e. all coastwise freight lifted in Scotland plus the coastwise freight lifted elsewhere in the UK which is discharged in Scotland. This definition of coastal shipping excludes foreign, "one port" and inland waterway freight shipping. For historical reasons, the definition used for the "coastal shipping" series differs from the definitions which are used for the water transport statistics provided in chapter 10. There is a small discontinuity between 1981 and 1982, due to a change in definitions.
5.3.4 Inland Waterway: See Chapter 10. Unfortunately, figures for 1979 and earlier years are not readily available.
5.3.5 Pipeline: covers the total carried by all pipelines which are in excess of 50km in length and which carry crude oil. Pipelines which are less than 50km long are excluded.
5.4 Other vehicle related statistics
5.4.1 Vehicles Licensed: See Chapter 1. The figures for 1975 to 1977 were derived from the records held by local licensing authorities and from the records held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre. Censuses based entirely on the record of licensed vehicles at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) began on 31 December 1978 and subsequent counts were taken on the last day of each year up to and including 31 December 1992. In 1992 the source of this information changed, as described in Chapter 1 - the new source figures for all vehicles licensed at the end of 1992 are 2.4% lower for Scotland than the figures from the old source.
5.4.2 Road Accidents: Chapter 7 describes these statistics.
5.4.3 Toll Bridges: See Chapter 4.
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