Transport Scotland has published its fifth Delivery Plan for the National Transport Strategy, setting out £4.3bn spending plans for 2026-27.

The transport authority announced plans to invest nearly £1.2bn in the motorway and trunk road network this year. This includes the £166.5m trunk roads depreciation budget and £4m annually managed expenditure (AME) - hence the increase on the £982.5m resource and capital budget for the trunk roads announced in the January Spending Review.

Procurement is set to begin this year for the £1.94bn Framework Agreement to deliver the remaining sections of the A9 Dualling Programme, with the first being the Dalraddy to Slochd project, the strategy confirms.

It adds that Transport Scotland will continue to progress 'development and assessment work to realign the A75 around the settlements of Springholm and Crocketford with a view to identifying a preferred route option in 2027'.

Transport Scotland will also develop proposals for the wider A75 and A77 corridors and expects to complete the temporary propping and jacking of the eastbound M8 Woodside Viaduct by the Autumn and continue with propping and jacking of the Westbound viaduct.

The overall strategy has four key ‘priorities': reduce inequalities, take climate action, help deliver inclusive economic growth and improve our health and wellbeing.

Road safety

Transport Scotland said it will complete delivery of Trunk Road 20 mph limits through temporary or permanent orders and 'continue to work with local authorities to understand the impact 20 mph speed restrictions are having on vehicle speed and casualty reduction and explore options where further measures may be required to assist with compliance levels.'

It also plans to invest £8.2m into the Safety Camera Programme in 2026–27 and to continue working with Police Scotland and councils to target enforcement at ‘locations with speeding and collision risks'.

Modernisation was also a focal point, with updated CCTV, electronic road signage and speed management measures all pledged for this year.

Deployment of low-emission zones (LEZ) is expected to continue in order to ‘support the transition to cleaner vehicles' following the removal of over 300 high‑polluting vehicles and the provision of more than 170 Travel Better grants in 2025-26. Proposals for the coming year include expanding eligibility to residents within 40 kilometres of any LEZ, aiming to remove around 600 additional vehicles and deliver 400 grants.

According to the document, Scotland invested a ‘record £48m' in road safety in 2025/26, including £12.25m for low cost trunk engineering measures and 20 mph delivery on trunk roads, £12.25m Road Safety Improvement Fund for local authorities, £10m to support local authorities to deliver 20mph speed limits, £7.7m to Police Scotland through the Safety Camera Programme and £5.8m to deliver ‘a series of national driver behaviour change campaigns'. 

Electric vehicle charging

A grant offering up to £3,500 to install cross-pavement charging solutions will continue this year. Transport Scotland stated that it will continue to work with the Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS), which is ‘developing national guidance addressing the legal, safety and practical issues associated with the provision of cross-pavement charging'.

While the strategy states that Transport Scotland is ‘coordinating the development of a Public Sector Fleet Decarbonisation Action Plan', there is no news as to when this would be published.

It also plans to publish a Net Zero Route Map, which aims 'to achieve Net Zero emissions associated with the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Trunk Road network by 2045.' However, this also has no date for publication as yet.

Transport Scotland has published the Trunk Road Adaptation Plan, to ensure Scotland's trunk road network ‘remains resilient and reliable in the face of climate change'. It identifies climate impacts on the network and guides future resilience actions.

For public transport, there will be a £2 cap on bus fares supported by £10m, as well as a £1.8m investment into reducing ferry fares for residents of the Northern Isles.

The full plan can be found here.