Scottish Transport Awards Book of Winners

SCOTTISH TRANSPORT AWARDS BOOK OF WINNERS

transporttimes

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Welcome

No better time to be relaunching the Scottish Transport Awards

Roy Brannen Interim Director General for Net Zero, Scottish Government and Chair of the Scottish Transport Awards Judging Panel

"These Awards are a unique moment to celebrate the excellence right across Scottish transport and reflect on the contribution the sector makes to the flourishing Scotland we all want to see"

within 24 hours. In very trying circumstances, our transport partners, local authorities, volunteers, and officials from almost every organisation in Scotland, delivered a series of events which were beamed around the world and showcased Scotland in a very professional and breathtaking manner. Sometimes we forget just how professional and effective we can all be when we pull together as one.

With all of this in mind, I can think of no better time to be relaunching the Scottish Transport Awards, and it was my honour to be able to introduce the first live event of its kind since 2019. With this being my very first year chairing the awards, I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to all our sponsors, patrons, judges and supporters. We are definitely back with a bang!

Transport remains a very important part of my remit as Interim Director General for the Scottish Government, but I now have an expanded span of responsibility which encompasses everything from climate change and energy; agriculture and rural economy; marine and the blue economy; to environment and forestry.

These are immense yet connected policy areas, with the overarching aim of meeting our ambitious climate change targets running as a golden thread through them all. This entails a societal shift on an unprecedented scale and our focus is urgently delivering the comprehensive policy package we have set out, to ensure that future targets can be met through sustainable, long-term reductions in emissions across

It is my pleasure to introduce the 2022 Scottish Transport Awards Book of Winners.

These Awards are the perfect opportunity to bring together the best that Scottish transport has to offer and to recognise the contribution by all our professionals in improving and enhancing Scotland’s transport networks.

Every day Transport Scotland sees the effort, collaboration and dedication from everyone involved in providing a successful journey for Scotland’s travelling public, and I was delighted to be asked to come on board to help judge these nominated schemes and highlight the best in practice.

The last two and a half years have been challenging for us all and have impacted massively on the transport industry. As we all work to return to a preCovid sense of ‘normal’, we find ourselves faced with new challenges. It is only through the hard work and commitment of everyone that vital public services have continued to be made available throughout the pandemic (and beyond), and it is in these challenging times that we see creative thinking and innovation become even more important than ever. This has been evident in a lot of this year’s entries, with the bar being raised considerably within each category, making the role of our judges as difficult as it has ever been - this is something that all of our nominees should be extremely proud of.

And of course we were all tested to the limit, in front of a global audience, very recently, with the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Operation Unicorn swung into operation

Sponsored by

all sectors.

We have already made significant progress. In the transport sector alone we have extended free bus travel to young people, introduced Low Emission Zones in four of our cities and supported the electrification of public transport. We will continue to deliver this work, but we need to continue to step up delivery and integrate Net Zero priorities across the work of government.

We will also use our commitment to transition to a Net Zero economy to ensure that we make progress on key strategic projects and infrastructure investments that will help Scotland’s economy to emerge strongly from any recession. There are great opportunities for us to take advantage of. In the years ahead we will be capitalising on the potential of ScotWind; building on Scotland’s status as a world leader in the development and deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies to put our nation at the cutting edge of offshore renewables.

Transport has a critical role to play in this transition to Net Zero as we support the shift to electric vehicles; support active travel; and ensure our public transport system is accessible and reliable. This will be more important than ever as we look ahead to the cost crisis this winter and consider the key role the transport system must play in supporting mobility for all.

These Awards are a unique moment to celebrate the excellence right across Scottish transport and reflect on the contribution the sector makes to the flourishing Scotland we all want to see.

Supported by

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Contents

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Most Effective Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement Project

Excellence in Walking, Public Realm and Cycling

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Best Practice of Travel to School and Work Schemes

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Frontline Employee of the Year

Transport Contractor of the Year

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Best Bus Service

Transport Team/ Partnership of the Year

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Contribution to Sustainable Transport

Designer: Keith Simpson (keith@one-creative. com).

Distribution: Passenger Transport.

Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing

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Excellence in Transport Accessibility

The Scottish Transport Awards 2022 Book of Winners has been produced by Passenger Transport magazine.

Excellence in Technology and Innovation

Most Innovative Transport Project of the Year

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Public Transport Operator of the Year

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Airport of the Year

Excellence in Transport Design/ Transport Project of the Year

This publication and the Scottish Transport Awards logo is copyright © Transport Times Events Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

Transport Times Events Ltd, Registered in Scotland No. SC714075 Trading & Registered Office: 60 Laurel Brae, Springfield, Cupar, Fife, KY15 5AD e: grant.poulton@transporttimes.co.uk w: www.transporttimes.co.uk

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Celebrating one year of our zero emission fleet £

Over £32million invested in the fleet

Our combined EVs remove 2720 cars per journey

A fleet of 68 zero emission buses

A battery range of 230 miles

Saving 3642 tonnes of carbon per annum

Helping to improve air quality in towns and cities

The latest technology ensures minimal noise for a smoother, comfortable journey

Will you be a Zero Hero and make the switch to bus?

mcgillsbuses.co.uk PT_STA_Ad.indd 6

12/10/2022 09:40

Foreword

It's been a challenging year, but also a rewarding one

Jenny Gilruth MSP Minister for Transport

world-leading commitment to reduce car kilometres travelled by 20% by 2030, underpinned with transformative actions such as the provision of free bus travel to all under 22s resident in Scotland. In addition, to make bus travel faster and more appealing, we’ve committed to investing over half a billion pounds in long term funding for bus priority infrastructure, reducing the impact of congestion on our bus services.

Collectively this work is accelerating the necessary modal shift away from cars, towards sustainable public transport and our decarbonised transport future.

At the same time, we are well aware that the energy and inflationary crises we are all facing will be particularly keenly felt by transport providers, with the cost of fuel at the forefront of so much planning and delivery.

Our recently published Programme for Government sets out the steps we are taking to navigate the cost crisis and support the transport industry.

It is a real pleasure to take the opportunity to reflect on the achievements and successes of the past year and also to pause and recognise the vital role so many people play in keeping our country moving every day.

It has been a challenging year.

But it has also been a rewarding one – as we steadily recover from the pandemic, we continue to see a change in travel behaviours that we are now working to lock in as part of our response to the global climate emergency.

Transport emissions, over the longer term, are reducing – and we are working together to build upon that vital progress.

We recognise the scale of the task but we have the research and the tools to deliver.

Mission Zero is a programme of work with a focus on decarbonising the transport sector at pace. This includes £120m over five years to support the roll out of fully electric battery and hydrogen buses – many of which will be built in Scotland, supporting skilled green jobs.

At the same time we have a

We have frozen rail fares until March 2023. We are investing £200m so that two million people can travel by bus for free, including every child and young person under 22, disabled people and everyone over 60.

Additionally we will test a new mobility and scrappage scheme to support low income households to replace a polluting vehicle with the means to travel sustainably.

We recognise the importance of ferry services to island communities and the many different challenges islanders face when carrying out their daily lives. Making these lifeline services more resilient and more sustainable is key.

All of this contributes to our vision for a just transition, unlocking economic opportunities across Scotland as part of the essential response to the climate emergency.

By continuing to work together, to innovate and to push boundaries, we can deliver an affordable, zero carbon and modern transport system for everyone in Scotland.

"Collectively this work is accelerating the necessary modal shift away from cars"

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Judging panel

Meet our panel of expert judges

Roy Brannen Chair of the Judging Panel & Interim Director General for Net Zero Scottish Government Roy's current role is the interim Director General for Net Zero in the Scottish Government.

He has responsibility for two large portfolios: Rural Affairs and Islands; and Net Zero, Energy and Transport. A key focus is on delivering on Scotland's targets to achieve net zero by 2045.

Between 2015 and November 2021 Roy served as Chief Executive of Transport Scotland. His responsibilities, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, included transport policy and strategy across all modes, transport investment planning, transport infrastructure including the trunk road network and rail enhancements, accessibility and active travel and transport's contribution to the development of a low carbon economy.

Roy is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Professor Iain Docherty Dean, Institute for Advanced Studies University of Stirling In addition to his research and teaching, Iain has worked with and advised a range of private sector, governmental and other organisations including governments and public agencies in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, and the OECD. In 2015 he was appointed by the ESRC and Innovate UK as one of five Thought Leaders working to integrate scientific innovation and social science research across the UK, and subsequently as one of the Co-Investigators and Infrastructure Theme Lead of the £1.2m ESRC Productivity Insights Network bringing together leading social science academics to help address the UK economy's resilient productivity gap. He is currently one of three senior researchers leading the UK Research and Innovation-funded project on the transport and mobility implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2021 was appointed as a Director of the National Transport Authority in Ireland.

Dr George Hazel OBE Director, George Hazel Consultancy George is a Director of the George Hazel Consultancy, an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and Chair of the Advisory Panel for the Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University.

He was a member of the UK Secretary of State for Transport’s Steering Group for National Road User Charging, Chair of the World Roads Congress C10 Committee, researching urban areas and transport, Chair of the Scottish Public Policy Unit’s Transport Commission and Chair of Transport 2000’s Forum on Revitalising Communities on Main Roads. He is an expert on towns and city regions and has written a book on Making Cities Work.

Previously he was Professor of Transport Policy at the Centre for Transport Policy, where he looked after the consultancy business. From 1996 to 1999 he was Director of City Development for the City of Edinburgh Council, responsible for planning, economic development, transport and property.

Daisy Narayanan MBE Head of Placemaking and Mobility, The City of Edinburgh Council Daisy Narayanan is the Head of Placemaking and Mobility at the City of Edinburgh Council where she leads on delivering a city-wide integrated approach to transport and placemaking.

Daisy is on the Board of Architecture & Design Scotland and a member of the Evidence Group for Scotland's Climate Assembly. She was on the Active Travel Task Force set up by the Minister for Transport and the Islands. She recently won the Civic Servant of the Year Award from the Academy of Urbanism.

Drawing on her previous experience working as an architect and urban designer in India, Singapore, England and Scotland, Daisy is passionate about creating places for people: places that reflect and complement the communities that live in them.

A music aficionado, a bookworm and a linguist, Daisy spends her time enjoying the Scottish outdoors with her husband and two children.

Bettina Sizeland Director of Bus, Accessibility and Active Travel, Transport Scotland Bettina recently joined Transport Scotland as Director for Bus, Accessibility and Active Travel (BAAT).

A chartered civil engineer, she previously worked for the Scottish Government as Deputy Director for Culture and Historic Environment and before that as Deputy Director for Tourism and Major Events. She previously spent 10 years in Africa and Asia as an engineering adviser for the Department for International Development.

As Director for BAAT, Bettina oversees the delivery of an ambitious policy agenda, working with delivery partners to improve sustainable, accessible transport options and get the travelling public back to buses, walking, cycling and wheeling.

Her Directorate also operates concessionary travel schemes and workswith operators to ensure all journeys on Scotland's bus, rail, ferry, subway and tram networks can be ticketed or paid for using smart technologies.

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Highlights

Scotland's Railway Winner of the Excellence in Transport Design and Transport Project of the Year awards for Queen Street station (pictured)

…and a selection of winners

Lothian Buses Winner of the Excellence in Transport Accessibility award

First Glasgow Contribution to Sustainable Transport winner for electrification

AGS Airports Winner of the Technology and Innovation award for Project CAELUS

Sustrans Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing winner for #AndSheCycles

RSAS Rail Systems Alliance Scotland is Transport Contractor of the Year

McGill's Bus Group Bus operator is Public Transport Operator of the Year

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Most Effective Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement Project Sponsored by

This category encompasses all aspects of road safety, traffic management and enforcement. Examples of projects that would qualify are speed management, road space reallocation projects (for example bus lanes) and parking enforcement schemes. We look for results such as casualty reductions, improved journey reliability, modal shift, or congestion reduction.

WINNER

SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Casualty Reduction Programme South Lanarkshire Council has approached its Casualty Reduction Programme in a logistical and methodical manner. Very positive results are being achieved and meeting the government’s goals of reducing casualty figures, especially in the fatal and serious categories.

Home to over 319,000 people, South Lanarkshire is one of the largest and most diverse areas of Scotland. It covers 180,000 hectares of land from near central Glasgow to its boundary with Dumfries and Galloway.

South Lanarkshire’s established Road Safety Forum demonstrates an ongoing commitment to reducing road casualties.

Attended by elected members, cross service council officers, Police Scotland and Fire and Rescue, this focuses resource and action to agreed priority areas in conjunction with its Cycling Partnership and Local Transport and Cycling Strategies.

Extremely proactive in its contribution towards national casualty reduction, collisions on its road network are continually monitored and investigated. A detailed annual analysis of accidents is undertaken to set local priorities for action to provide the greatest benefit to the community. A holistic Casualty Reduction Programme is delivered by deploying the four E’s of road safety: education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement, alongside an understanding of the Safe Systems Approach.

Education: A ‘whole life’ approach to road safety education is taken. Good habits are best developed when young, therefore, emphasis is given to educating young people within the curriculum. Further target groups are identified through accident analysis.

Engineering: Two significant road safety engineering initiatives are undertaken annually. Firstly, the Route Action Plan (RAP) programme implements engineering measures following the identification of common causation factors that may be

present on a route. Sections of Class A and B roads with accident rates above the national average are prioritised for investigation and treatment. Secondly, locations where there have been three or more injury accidents during the previous three-year period are also identified. These single site locations include junctions, bends or lengths of road less than 500 metres long. Area-wide investigations taking account of the most deprived SIMD data-zones are also completed.

Enforcement: It is key that road users follow traffic laws. Regular liaison is undertaken with Police Scotland to investigate and prioritise additional surveillance. Joint accident analysis with the Safety Camera Programme establishes new safety camera locations and short term deployments and monitors and evaluates existing locations.

Under decriminalised parking, enforcement of parking restrictions at sites of road safety concern are also prioritised.

Encouragement: Through social media, publications and campaigns, a variety of road safety messages and information is communicated by the Council to generate compliance and support towards road safety.

The Council leads on all of these disciplines with the exception of enforcement.

Success is evidenced by comparing the Framework targets baseline (2004-08) to the most recent five-year average (2017-21) fatal casualties reduced by 36% and serious injuries by 33%. The average cost is estimated as £2.19m for fatal and £249k for serious casualties, therefore this represents significant savings to the economy and lessens the devastating effects of injury/loss of life.

Over the same period, children killed or seriously injured has reduced by 41% and

slight injury accidents reduced by 62%.

Road safety investment of approximately £1.7m during 2021-22 will be continued in 2022-23. The cluster site of A73 Station Road, Thankerton, was identified in 2018-19 and provides an exemplar of success. With four RTCs (Road Traffic Collisions) including serious casualties during the 2015-18 period, rising to five during 2016-19, this was identified for investigation and treatment. Turning manoeuvres, speed, young drivers and overtaking were factors. Vehicle activated signs were installed with camera detection equipment for ‘waiting to turn’ vehicles.

Double white lines were installed to deter overtaking and anti-skid surfacing to reduce stopping distances should errors be made.

Other shortlisted entries: Edinburgh Trams – Permit+ Glasgow City Council – Cycle Activated Safety Signage Glasgow City Council – Connecting Woodside – Phase One Garscube Road

Previous winners: 2020: City of Edinburgh Council - 20mph Programme 2019: Scotland TranServ, Strategic Road Safety Team: Saving Lives through Innovation 2018: Police Scotland’s Operation Close Pass supported by Cycling Scotland and Road Safety Scotland 2017: City of Edinburgh Council - School Streets Project 2016: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and South Lanarkshire Council - Route Action Plans

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Excellence in Walking, Public Realm and Cycling

This category demonstrates how particular policies and projects have improved the street environment. Examples of initiatives for this Award include environmental enhancement schemes, pedestrian schemes or parking and warden policies. Before and after photographs help the Judges with this category. Alternatively, a cycling strategy may form the basis of a submission for this category or an individual scheme, which has brought significant benefits.

WINNER

CYCLEHOOP LTD Edinburgh and Glasgow Bikehangar Scheme Secure On-Street Residential Cycle Parking Cyclehoop create deliver and manage innovative cycle parking and infrastructure.

The company’s focus is on making cycling safe, secure and convenient, to enable people to experience the social and environmental benefits of cycling.

Cyclehoop’s award-winning products are designed by cyclists, for everyone. They have been installed around the world helping cities become more cycle friendly, healthy and sustainable.

Cyclehoop was awarded a contract to provide 180 Bikehangars to City of Edinburgh Council with installation commencing in August 2020, each providing secure storage for six bikes in half the space of a parking bay. Glasgow City Council meanwhile awarded a contract to Cyclehoop to provide 60 Bikehangars in May 2021.

Bikehangar schemes provide secure, convenient on-street cycle parking for residents with limited storage space or poor

access. With high proportions of tenement and apartment style housing, Edinburgh and Glasgow residents face significant barriers to cycling. Cyclists often resort to carrying bikes up steep, narrow staircases and storing them in hallways and shared spaces. Aside from being awkward and unsightly, this approach poses safety hazards and can leave bikes vulnerable to theft. By moving cycle storage to the street, Bikehangar schemes remove these barriers, making cycling safer and much more accessible.

The Bikehangar design has the highest security rating in its class. Crucially, subscribers are able to insure their bikes when locked inside.

Uptake has been rapid and extremely successful in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

At the time of writing, the company has introduced 648 secure cycle parking spaces in Edinburgh, with an occupancy rate of 99%. The 666 secure cycle parking spaces in Glasgow have an occupancy rate of 96%.

Measuring favourably against an 88% average occupancy for comparable schemes in London, this figure is a credit to the diligence of both Cyclehoop and council teams in site selection, surveys and public consultation.

And it demonstrates overwhelming demand for residential cycle parking.

WINNER

GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL

for the Connecting Woodside project.

This ambitious area-based project forms a key component of Glasgow's proposed city-wide cycle network. Construction began in 2020 on Phase One of the project, a 1km bi-directional, segregated cycle route on the A81, Garscube Road. Prior to the introduction of the scheme, this was a fourlane road dominated by high speed vehicular traffic, an intimidating environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Council, through a number of community engagement events along with focus groups undertaken with disability groups, developed a fully inclusive design that prioritises those walking and cycling. With clearly segregated vehicular and cycle traffic, it is now a highly legible route that enables users of all ages and abilities to confidently negotiate a road with high volumes of vehicular traffic safely and easily.

Complementing the physical active travel infrastructure has been the inclusion of soft landscaping and trees within the project to support biodiversity whilst breaking up the industrial nature of the road. This provides an attractive route that people enjoy walking and cycling on, which can bring positive mental health benefits.

The route provides a key component in the local cycle network, and will ultimately connect Woodside to Sauchiehall Street, the Forth and Clyde Canal and regeneration work at Port Dundas, Sighthill and Hamiltonhill. To support behaviour change, the scheme has introduced three cycle hire stations, two of these with e-bikes, giving local residents an opportunity to consider cycling without the financial commitment of purchasing a bicycle.

By introducing these changes on a major arterial route of strategic importance, Glasgow City Council has demonstrated what is possible through reallocation of road space for active and sustainable transport.

Further, the project provides Scotland with an exemplar cycle route where the design principles can be replicated to introduce similar schemes in other towns and cities.

Following construction, it is pleasing to note that there has been a 92% increase in those cycling on Garscube Road.

Other shortlisted entries: Cycling Scotland - Excellence in Monitoring Scotrail - Cycling enhancement scheme

Connecting Woodside - Phase One Garscube Road In 2017, Glasgow City Council successfully secured funding via the Sustransadministered, and Scottish Governmentfunded, Community Links PLUS competition

Previous winners: 2020: City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme 2019: Aberdeenshire Council, Integrated Travel Town Masterplan Project Approach

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Best Practice in Travel to School and Work Schemes

This category recognises developments in school and work transport schemes which have delivered modal shift or improved safety.

WINNER

LIVING STREETS WOW Activity Tracker WOW is the walk to school challenge from Living Streets Scotland that rewards primary school pupils who travel sustainably to school at least once a week with monthly collectible badges, helping create a healthy habit for life. Pupils record how they get to school using the WOW Travel Tracker, which is an interactive classroom-based tool.

Part of the UK charity for everyday walking, Living Streets Scotland wants to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday and to inspire people of all generations to enjoy the benefits the simple act of walking brings.

Living Streets Scotland launched WOW to encourage primary school pupils to travel sustainably to school at least once a

week. Pupils record how they get to school on the WOW Travel Tracker, an interactive classroom-based tool. When schools closed to non-key worker children during the pandemic, the ‘WOW Activity Tracker’ was launched to ensure pupils stayed engaged and active during lockdown and when self-isolating once schools reopened. Extra icons were added allowing ‘at home’ activity to be logged as well as the journey to school. Whether a child was in school or at home, they could still log daily activity and continue to earn their WOW badges.

The main outcome was continued school and family engagement with WOW and active travel. Before its launch, just 48 schools logged trips in January 2021 - in March of the same year this had risen to 829, an increase of 1,627%. Over 900,000 active trips were recorded between January and July 2021 in Scotland.

Living Streets Scotland responded quickly to offer schools an adapted tool that maintained its relationships with them. The support given to schools by coordinators, alongside launching the updated WOW Activity Tracker and targeted communications, kept pupils in school and

those at home engaged with the walk to school challenge. The project also allowed Living Streets Scotland to test a different iteration of the WOW Travel Tracker, which now has scope to be adapted for different settings - e.g. workplaces.

Other shortlisted entries: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport – Axiom Schools Capacity Management Improvements Lothian Buses – Lothian Accessibility South Lanarkshire Council - School Travel Plans

Previous winners: 2020: South Lanarkshire Council - School Travel Plans 2019: Western Isles Council Bikeability Scotland cycle training, supported by Cycling Scotland 2018: Sustrans Scotland - Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge 2017: Fife Council - WoW Walking in Travel to School and Work Ahead 2016: Fife Council

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Excellence in Transport Accessibility

This category covers projects or initiatives that can demonstrate improved access to travel or the travel experience for disabled people. Entries should highlight innovation, the extent to which the proposer has sought to build upon learning through engagement with disabled people, positive team or partnership collaboration, and the extent to which they benefit disabled people who are in hard-to-reach groups.

WINNER

LOTHIAN BUSES Lothian Accessibility Lothian, the UK’s largest municipal bus company, regularly hosts ‘Try a Bus’ events for organisations, schools and community groups. These events seek to help those who are anxious about using public transport and would like to try making a journey in a safe space before committing to that first real, often daunting, experience.

Last year, the Edinburgh-based company worked with two local secondary schools to offer young people with mild to moderate learning disabilities the chance to familiarise themselves with its buses. The company’s Accessibility and Inclusion Officer hosts these events as part of ongoing efforts to make the network as accessible as possible for all customers.

A member of the driving team brings a vacant, clean double decker bus to the group at a location convenient to them. One of the company’s knowledgeable Customer Services team also attends these sessions in order to answer queries about the customer experience.

Together, and with the assistance of teachers and a City of Edinburgh Council Local Area Coordinator, the initiative takes groups step-by-step through social distancing, interactions with the bus driver, the company’s Bus and Tram App, and many other aspects of journey planning.

For many children and young adults in Edinburgh and the Lothians, using the bus to travel to school, go shopping and meet friends is a regular occurrence, executed with very little forethought and minimal stress. When an individual has a disability, however, simply turning up at the bus stop nearest their home, reading the timetable or negotiating the app and waiting for the next bus may not be as simple an option as it sounds.

Edinburgh is a very diverse city and Lothian is privileged to have access to a number of schools that cater for students with disabilities or additional educational requirements, including the two schools that the company has worked with in the

past 12 months.

It is not always possible for a young person to understand a map, or to remember where they need to alight for different destinations. Sometimes, disabled young people do not have the confidence to ask the driver, or a fellow customer for help if they get lost. Events like this help to build confidence in customers not only to use bus services, but to speak to drivers if they have any issues while on board.

The Try a Bus events have been an overwhelming success for those who attended and for Lothian itself. Over the course of these events, the company has enabled a number of individuals feel more at ease using its services, whether travelling to and from work, to attend school or further/higher education, for leisure or social reasons.

Through participation in these events, customers were able to raise their concerns about using public transport, some of which had been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Prevalent in these discussions was the guidance for customers who cannot wear a face covering, with some anxious they may face a backlash from fellow passengers who don’t understand or recognise they are exempt from wearing one. Lothian’s representatives talked to those who are unable to wear a face covering about their drivers’ understanding and discussed options such as exemption cards, thistle assistance cards and how they could respond to Lothian colleagues or customers in an appropriate way if questioned.

Both principal teachers from the two

schools that Lothian collaborated with told the company that the students thoroughly enjoyed their experience. Both schools saw the value in attending and trying buses. One principal commented that students had already started discussing ideas about selftravel and were showing increased levels of confidence when talking about public transport.

Lothian aims to make these Try a Bus events a regular fixture in schools’ calendars, giving school leavers the opportunity to explore independent travel at the end of their final academic year.

In this way, it hopes to work together to improve the confidence and competence of young, disabled individuals in using public transport to access further education, and widen employment and social opportunities.

Other shortlisted entry: Scotland’s Railway - Glasgow Queen Street Station Redevelopment

Previous winners: 2020: Inverness Airport 2019: Glasgow Airport Ltd - Ensuring Every Passenger Enjoys Their Journey 2018: Neatebox Ltd, Scotland Transerv, and Transport Scotland - Neatebox Button App to improve road safety for disabled pedestrians in Largs 2017: Transport Scotland - Scotland Accessible Travel Framework 2016: Scottish Borders Community Transport Services

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We are on a mission

to get Scotland driving electric Supporting the Scottish EV driving community 24/7, as we work towards the nations net zero target

Proud to have been shortlisted for Contribution to Sustainable Transport Award 2022

ChargePlace Scotland is operated by SWARCO in partnership with Transport Scotland

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Contribution to Sustainable Transport

Sponsored by

This category recognises organisations that have implemented policies to reduce their impact on the environment, supported by clear results. Projects could include the use of alternative vehicle fuels and technologies or freight practices which have resulted in mileage or emissions reductions.

WINNER

FIRST GLASGOW Electrification of the UK’s biggest bus depot First Bus, one of the UK’s largest bus operators, has pledged to reach a zeroemission fleet by 2035 and will no longer purchase any diesel buses from December 2022. In Scotland, it operates services across Aberdeen, Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

As leaders in sustainable mobility, First Bus is fully aligned with the Government’s ambitions for a net-zero carbon transport system, including zeroemission bus fleets.

As part of Transport Scotland’s new funding scheme, Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus fund, First Bus set out an ambitious plan to electrify just under half of the fleet at their flagship Caledonia Depot in Glasgow.

Already the UK’s largest depot, the investment saw it transformed into the UK’s largest electric fleet charging station, with the ability to charge over 150 vehicles at a time now, and over 350 vehicles in the future.

The ambitious collaboration with Transport Scotland will not only help First Glasgow replace 148 of the oldest and dirtiest buses in its fleet with new zero-emission buses, but will also help transform the depot on the south side of the city centre into the largest EV Rapid DC charging facility in the UK, with 80 dual headed chargers.

A total investment of over £28m from Transport Scotland and a First Bus contribution of over £40m have helped to realise this ambitious project with the delivery of 148 fully electric buses and the relevant infrastructure to charge, operate and maintain the fleet.

Further demonstrating First Bus’ commitment to the communities it serves, the 148 new vehicles for Glasgow were built by Scottish bus builder Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) with their partner BYD supporting the Scottish economy.

The project required the upskilling of the engineering team at Caledonia in order to be able to maintain and repair electric vehicles alongside existing diesel fleet.

One of the biggest challenges facing the

industry with the decarbonisation of the fleet is the amount of time a vehicle has historically taken to charge. The DC rapid EV chargers, installed by Heliox, are capable of fully charging a bus in just over four hours.

Working closely with local authority partners is another key focus for First Bus. The company has collaborated effectively with Glasgow City Council for several years alongside other bus operators in Glasgow for the country’s first ever Low Emission Zone rollout. It is on course to reach 100% compliance by the 2023 deadline due to the completion of this project.

Caledonia is the test bed for a new First Bus and wider sector business model for electrification that can be used on a ‘plug and play’ basis elsewhere.

First Bus is taking forward a collaborative Innovate UK project on options for in-depot cabling.

First Bus partnered with SP Energy Networks to upgrade/house a new green energy substation on site to enhance grid supply for the site and local community.

Funding was secured from OFGEM to help support the upgrade of power to site using their Green Economy fund to cover a portion of the cost.

This project is predicted to remove 10,082 tonnes of CO2 per year, 112 tonnes of NOx per year, and 0.22 tonnes PM per year when all vehicles are in service.

The project’s environmental credentials were highlighted during last year’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. First Bus was appointed the official COP26 delegate shuttle for city centre to blue/green zones, utilising its new charging hub and electric

fleet to deliver 137,000 passenger journeys throughout the global event.

The Caledonia depot meanwhile hosted over 2,500 visitors, giving delegates a first-hand look at the new charging hub.

Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard - Aberdeen City Council’s Hydrogen Hub Project

Other shortlisted entries: ChargePlace Scotland Lothian Buses Lumo McGill’s Buses - Route to Net Zero Scania Scotland - Scania Eurocentral South Lanarkshire Council - Cambuslang Park and Ride

Previous winners: 2020: BOC - BOC’s Kittybrewster Hydrogen Refuelling Station 2019: Dundee City Council, Dundee EV Infrastructure Project 2018: Alexander Dennis Limited - ADL SmartPack and SmartHybrid technology for efficient Low Emission Buses 2017: First Bus – A More Sustainable Future 2016: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport - Ground Water and Air Source Heat System on the Subway

Previous winners: 2020: BAM Nuttall – Rail Division 2019: Morgan Sindall, Kerse Road Bridge

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Excellence in Technology and Innovation

This category recognises those who have employed new technology or a new way of working to bring about great results.

WINNER

AGS AIRPORTS LTD Project CAELUS AGS Airports is leading a consortium of 14 partners that will develop and trial what will be the UK’s first national distribution network to use drones to transport essential medicines, blood, organs and other medical supplies throughout Scotland.

The CAELUS (Care & Equity - Logistics UAS Scotland) project commenced on December 2020 with £1.5m funding from the UK Industrial Strategy Future Flight Challenge Fund to demonstrate how autonomous drone technology can enhance access to essential medical supplies, particularly in rural parts of Scotland. Phase 2 will culminate in live flight trials in Scotland.

As the NHS emerges from the pandemic with a focus on the remobilisation, recovery and redesign of services, novel use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones will disrupt models of service delivery and transform patient pathways moving them closer to the patient and a home care setting. By using live and digital flight demonstrations, CAELUS is proving that a network of multiple drones can integrate safely with existing flight operations and therefore addresses regulatory needs and social acceptance issues.

The project team, led by AGS Airports, brings a diverse range of technical and industry experience and expertise to support

CAELUS in achieving its aims and objectives.

The project has four main workstreams: 1. Development and validation of concepts of operation describing how drones seamlessly and safely integrate with the existing aviation ecosystem and describing the viability of the network and its benefits for the customers it will serve.

2. Demonstration of these concepts through implementation and operation of physical and digital flight demonstrations of drone deliveries across multiple areas of Scotland. An innovative digital twin model has also been designed to optimise the network.

3. Demonstration of innovative new ways of proactively engaging with communities, airspace users and potential customers including use of live sound demonstration listening booths.

4. Designing the required physical infrastructure, including the installation of exciting prototype landing bases and the beginnings of a telecoms and surveillance network at sites across Scotland.

The project has a national reach with regional focus around Glasgow and Highlands and the rural Scottish west coast, but with the longer-term goal of addressing the national Scottish needs as a whole. Meanwhile, the use of electric drones and the development of EV stations and infrastructure supports Scottish Government ambitions for Net Zero Transport.

In addition to developing the ground infrastructure needed to recharge the drones and the systems to control them while flying, a key aspect of the project will be designing pathways to ensure the drones can safely share airspace with civil aviation.

The project will also ensure critical aspects such as public safety, security and noise

levels are considered.

With approximately 20% of Scotland’s population living in remote or rural areas spread across 94% of the land mass, service delivery can encounter constraints which contributes to treatment inequity.

Current road-based systems are responsible for more than one million miles of fuel consumption annually. NHS Scotland views the adoption of drones as an opportunity to transform the patient experience and reduce the impact of traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.

Community engagement work determined that on average, 70% of Scotland’s public support the use of drones for medical use cases and in rural areas, this rises to 90%.

CAELUS informs the skills and regulatory pathways required to deliver this emerging market in the UK by leveraging the project partners supply chain, and expects to create around 750 jobs for delivery of the Scottish operation, diversifying the construction and infrastructure, manufacturing and aviation sectors, delivering a £12.75m boost to the economy in Scotland, including 250 indirect jobs throughout the supply chain and associated stakeholders.

This is a very significant and innovative project which could be a game-changer in the future regarding how medicines are transported over long distances.

Other shortlisted entries: Edinburgh Trams – Permit+ First Glasgow - Electrification of the UK’s biggest bus depot Living Streets Scotland - WOW Activity Tracker Passenger Technology Group - Passenger’s Journey Cancellations Tool Lothian Buses - Lothian Operations Hub McGill’s Buses - Switch Powering the Future Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Buchanan Bus Station Customer Information Enhancements

Previous winners: 2020: Amey (with Transport Scotland, Strathclyde University and Highland Galvanizers) - Re- Galvanising VRS 2019: Liftshare, Solving commuter problems with data 2018: Network Rail - Automatic Full Barrier Locally Monitored Level Crossing 2017: The Improvement Service - The National Entitlement Card Migration Project 2016: Clearview Intelligence Ltd, Transport Scotland and BEAR (Scotland) - Installation of Innovative Intelligent Road Studs Scheme to Reduce Inadvertent Lane Transgression on the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout

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Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing This category covers all areas of transport marketing including information and promotional work. Clear evidence to show the approach chosen has brought about results, e.g. patronage increases, modal shift or greater awareness of a particular service or facility.

WINNER

SUSTRANS SCOTLAND #AndSheCycles Sustrans Scotland, a charity that makes it easier for people to walk and cycle for more of their everyday journeys, developed a national campaign called #AndSheCycles to help address the barriers faced by teenage girls and young women when cycling. The campaign is inspired by, and is working in collaboration with, the Green Schools Ireland campaign of the same name.

The campaign was co-developed by a group of young women (age 13-18) across Scotland from 14 different schools, youth groups and colleges. Through a series of interactive workshops these young women helped to shape a social media campaign by working in collaboration with one of Scotland’s leading creative agencies, HeeHaw. Sustrans Scotland conducted a series of interactive workshops with 51 young women across Scotland to help identify the main barriers preventing them from choosing to cycle. A trainee health psychologist from the University of Aberdeen analysed this focus group data through a theoretical lens to identify ‘social’ barriers of cycling to school experienced by teenage girls and offered

recommendations of how to overcome these barriers. This analysis identified that the top three barriers faced by these young women were fear of judgement, lack of role models/ others cycling and stereotypes of a cyclist.

The online social media and marketing campaign delivered by HeeHaw creative agency aimed to address these barriers by creating a relevant and empowering online platform to help inspire young women to consider cycling. The social media campaign, including a campaign video, platformspecific edits, cut-downs, photography and organic social media posts showcases an energetic and vibrant array of young women – from all walks of life and of lots of ability levels – enjoying being out for a ride on their bikes. Campaign imagery was innovatively shot using an e-trike with a gimbal camera attached to it — the only one of its kind in Scotland!

The #AndSheCycles campaign has focused solely on Instagram and TikTok for promotion because Sustrans Scotland wanted young people to have ownership over this campaign and use platforms they know best. The campaign grew its online following by collaborating with Kristen Scott, a full-time influencer in the target demographic.

The online #AndSheCycles platform is now managed by a team of young women ambassadors. They have, and continue to use, the brand design and imagery created throughout the marketing campaign to create an online community and space where they can share their stories and encourage even more young women to ‘join the movement’.

The #AndSheCycles campaign video has

been viewed over 204,559 times by 123,602 people across social media. 83,424 of these views were by young women in the target demographic (young women aged 13-25).

AndSheCycles groups have been established in six areas across Scotland.

Young women meet regularly and ability varies widely, some had never ridden a bike before, whilst others compete nationally in track cycling. The #AndSheCycles groups have delivered girls-only learn to ride sessions, led rides, ‘Dr. Bike’ events and cycling confidence sessions.

ITV borders covered an #AndSheCycles session in Dumfries & Galloway, further helping to spread the message to young women across Scotland.

The campaign launched the #AndSheCycles Festival, taking place at the end of June. Throughout the event girls and young women across Scotland joined in to ride bikes in their local areas in celebration of the #AndSheCycles campaign and to encourage even more girls to #JoinTheMovement. With over 25 rides in 10 areas, this event was the biggest festival of teenage girls and young women cycling that this country has ever seen! Film and media covered the group rides to document and produce a collective call to action asking the Scottish Government to do more to enable girls and young women to cycle as part of everyday journeys.

Watch the campaign video at: https://ibike. sustrans.org.uk/and-she-cycles/

Highly commended: First Aberdeen - World’s first double decker Hydrogen Bus launch campaign Scottish CityLink Coaches - Restoring Customer Confidence Campaign

Other shortlisted entries: Amey Winter Service Communication, October 2020 – May 2021 Edinburgh Trams - Family Day Tripper Ticket Strathclyde Partnership for Transport ‘Born Innovative’ – Celebrating 125 Years of Subway City of Edinburgh Council – Edinburgh Travel Tracker First Bus – COP 26

Previous winners: 2020: Edinburgh Trams & Scottish Rugby, Successful Partnership Campaign 2019: Edinburgh Trams, Airport Marketing Project 2018: CalMac Ferries - Passenger Safety Video 2017: Midlothian Council - Out and About Midlothian 2016: Transport Scotland – Keep Scotland

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Transport Team/Partnership of the Year

This category highlights how effective teamwork has brought improvements to transport services or facilities. Results should show that working practices, or improved working practices have delivered improvements.

WINNER

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND Delivering the Transport Plan for COP26 Transport Scotland led the creation, development, testing and implementation of the Transport Plan for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021. The plan was created in partnership with the Scottish Government, UK Government, Glasgow City Council, Police Scotland, British Transport Police, City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Events Campus (SEC), Traffic Scotland, ScotRail, SPT, First Group, Stagecoach, operating companies BEAR Scotland and Amey, event delivery partners Stadium Management, and consultants Systra, Mott MacDonald and Jacobs. Working in partnership, the team successfully delivered the Transport Plan for the 25,000 daily conference attendees.

The scale of the event was unprecedented in Scotland, with over 100 world leaders, delegates and international media attending the conference over a two-week period.

The Transport Plan for COP26 set out to deliver a safe, secure and resilient transport network to the event, providing a first-class experience, with public transport and active travel at its core.

The nature of the event, and the activism it was predicted to attract, indicated that disruption to the transport networks was highly likely. A collaborative approach to planning and response was required in order to keep Scotland moving throughout the conference period and limit the disruption to ‘business as usual’ traffic.

Delivering the plan required an understanding of the needs of a wide range of client groups including world leaders, VIPs, delegates, UN staff, media, activists, host city volunteers, operational support staff and local residents and businesses. The plan was produced by the Transport Co-ordination Group (TCG), chaired by Transport Scotland, and its supporting sub-groups representing a range of agencies, local authorities, and transport operators. Transport planning for COP26 presented a unique set of challenges for the TCG as a result of the impacts of Covid-19 and the additional risks of activism and industrial action.

The TCG worked with the Cabinet Office to develop a list of planning assumptions which would form the basis of developing the Transport Plan. A Travel Demand Management

programme was then undertaken and the TCG worked with SYSTRA and Jacobs to model the impact of the event on the transport networks. Key findings from this modelling would then go on to influence the COP26 travel marketing campaign, developed

by TCG partners and Mott MacDonald.

After working from home for almost two years, the full team came together in person for the first time within the Transport Coordination Centre. The centre was active in the run up to the event, during event time, and post event, to monitor the transport networks and co-ordinate the response to disruption and incidents, to ensure the safe and effective delivery of the Transport Plan.

Working in partnership, the TCG and supporting partners successfully delivered a safe, secure and resilient transport network for COP26. The plan allowed Glasgow and Scotland to keep moving with minimal disruption by putting active travel and public transport at its core. 28,000 travel smartcards were handed to delegates, volunteers and staff, providing them with free travel to and from the venue. More than 300,000 single journeys were taken by smartcard holders on public transport during the conference period, with more than a third of these on the fully accessible, 100% electric shuttle bus service.

The Transport Co-ordination Centre (TCC) successfully resolved 127 transport-related incidents during the event, including the closure of the Erskine Bridge and major disruption on the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line. The TCC worked with Police Scotland and transport operators to help monitor some of the 400 protests staged across Glasgow during the conference. Despite being presented

with a unique set of challenges in the form of Covid-19, activism and a diverse range of client groups, Transport Scotland and delivery partners built on the experience of hosting major international sporting events to successfully plan and deliver a once in a lifetime event on home soil.

Highly commended: Lothian Buses and Police Scotland

Other shortlisted entries: City of Edinburgh Council - 20 Minute Neighbourhood Programme Delivery Team CrossCountry’s Contribution To COP 26 Jacobs - Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) Network Rail - Scotland’s Railway on COP26 South Lanarkshire Council & North Lanarkshire Council – Project PACE Strathclyde Partnership for Transport SPT - Supporting the Covid-19 Recovery

Previous winners: 2020: Transport Scotland, ScotRail, Network Rail, Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Stewart Milne Group and Elmford / Park Lane - The Delivery of Robroyston Rail Station and Park and Ride 2019: Transport Scotland in partnership with Combined Operating Companies – Battling the Beast from the East 2018: Scotland TranServ - Scotland TranServ Incident Response 2017: Aberdeenshire Council - GrassHOPPER Smart Ticketing 2016: Amey and Transport Scotland Closure of the Forth Road Bridge

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Most Innovative Transport Project of the Year

Sponsored by

This category recognises projects that demonstrate good results. Entrants can be a project that is the first of its kind or a project that has been done before, but has been approached differently.

WINNER

SUSTRANS SCOTLAND Minecraft St Philomena’s Primary School Sustrans Scotland funded an infrastructure project to improve walking, wheeling and cycling links through the neighbourhood of Molendinar in Glasgow. The infrastructure project was led by St Paul’s Youth Forum and an essential element was engaging the local children and young people in the design of the infrastructure.

The computer game Minecraft was used to empower children to input their imaginative design ideas for a new pedestrian plaza that was to be created by closing a local street, Langdale Street. Using Minecraft and a specially designed 3D realm that faithfully rendered the local area with landmarks and some of the children’s homes, the children from St Philomena’s Primary School were able to create a vision for how the pedestrian plaza could be better for those on foot, scooter, wheelchair and bike.

Children applied for the team via a job

application, where they were asked what motivated them to take part. Successful applicants included boys and girls from senior years, and from both Enhanced Nurture and mainstream provision. Pupils weren’t chosen based on knowledge and interest in Minecraft. Instead a team of pupils was created that were all motivated by an opportunity to use their imaginations to improve their community for everyone.

The first session of the project involved a site visit – in high-vis jackets and clipboards – to make notes about the area.

Everyone agreed that making the street cleaner, more beautiful, and addressing dangers of speeding traffic were important objectives. They then returned to the school to begin building and developing ideas in Minecraft, where the pupils were assisted by helpful non-player characters representing a town planner, an engineer/builder, an architect, an artist, and a landscape architect.

The young urban design team developed a range of ideas and proposals within a very short period. These included, but were not limited to: • An emphasis on food growing and opportunities to experience nature in the community, including in the school grounds.

• Enhanced play provision including a slide, climbing frame, sandpit, a secret base and several designs for gazebos and treehouses.

• Affordable food and drink purchasing opportunities, and food-related community events.

• Several designs for a bridge that would celebrate the community and provide views and space for social activity. There was strong support for this being a rainbow bridge to celebrate diversity and inclusion, as well as to bring colour to the local landscape.

• Creative designs for bins, and ways to encourage the community to keep the local area clean.

The children’s ideas are now part of the local consultation on next steps for the local Places for Everyone scheme, funded by Sustrans Scotland with support from Transport Scotland. Named ‘Flourishing Molendinar’, the scheme will bring to life new infrastructure and place-making that aligns with the Places for Everyone aims of creating safe, attractive, healthier places and increasing the number of trips made by walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys.

The programme also aims to make it safe and easy for young people to move around their communities independently, by designing infrastructure that can be used by an unaccompanied 12-year-old.

This project had laudable objectives, and was an innovative way to engage with local primary school children.

Highly commended entries: Stagecoach East Scotland - Sam’s Wellbeing on Wheels The City of Edinburgh Council - City Mobility Plan

Other shortlisted entries: AGS Airports Ltd - Project CAELUS Cycling Scotland - Cargo bikes during Covid-19 Glasgow City Council - Collaborative use of location services data in transport planning in Glasgow Scotland’s Railway - Glasgow Queen Street Redevelopment Transform Scotland - #lovemybus

Previous winners: 2020: BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland – A83 Rest and Be Thankful Catch-Pits and Glen Kinglas Rock Bunds 2019: Jacobs, Transport Scotland, Scotland TranServ & Sibbald - VR Site Safety 2018: Amey - Re-Galvanising Vehicle Restraint Systems (VRS) 2017: Network Rail Infrastructure Projects for the ScotRail Alliance: Glasgow Queen Street Tunnel, Slab Track Renewal 2016: The ScotRail Alliance - Borders Railway - Phenomenal Demand and Growing the Economy

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SCOTLAND’S RAILWAY IS ALL ABOARD FOR STA 2022!

Scotland’s Railway is delighted to be a part of this year’s innovative Scottish Transport Awards.

The event provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the incredible work achieved in collaboration with our industry partners and contractors, all driven by the same commitment and determination - to deliver an even better railway for Scotland.

The Aberdeen-Inverness (A2I) Improvement Project transformed services in the north of Scotland, increasing capacity on the route and creating the possibility of two new stations at Kintore and at Inverness Airport.

A2I also helped to improve the flexibility the railway can offer the expanding communities around both cities – opening up new job and leisure opportunities.

The £120million redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station, delivered by Network Rail on behalf of Transport Scotland, is the culmination of a 12-year journey on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), the most significant investment in Scotland’s rail infrastructure for a generation.

As Scotland’s third busiest station, the work at Queen Street was essential to achieving the electrification of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line to enable longer, greener electric trains and increase capacity. The work improved sustainable transport choices and created a 21st century travel hub, with enhanced accessibility for all in an environment that fosters a better travel experience for customers.

Scotland’s Railway has long been committed to electrification, a key element of the Scottish Government’s rolling programme of decarbonisation.

When the eyes of the world focused on Glasgow during COP26, Scotland’s Railway demonstrated that we deliver a reliable service on the greenest form of public transport, as we transported delegates to and from venues across the city while keeping the rest of Scotland moving.

As part of our rolling programme of decarbonisation, the Barrhead and East Kilbride lines will be the latest to see electric trains introduced, and planning is also under way to decarbonise the Borders Railway and services in Fife.

Other vital projects are supporting the modal shift from road to rail. The Levenmouth rail link development will provide two new stations at Cameron Bridge and Leven, and a new station opened at Reston this year. Plans are also in place for a new fully electrified station at East Linton by March 2024.

Our vision for an even better railway in Scotland is fast becoming a reality.

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Excellence in Transport Design / Transport Project of the Year

The Excellence in Transport Design category recognises designs that demonstrate good results and have the potential for flexibility in the future, as well as being environmentally and economically sustainable. The Transport Project of the Year award was a special award for 2022.

WINNER

SCOTLAND’S RAILWAY Glasgow Queen Street station redevelopment The £120m redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station by Scotland’s Railway is the culmination of 12 years of work on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) - a significant strategic investment funded by Transport Scotland and delivered by Network Rail.

The comprehensive package of improvements includes electrification of the main line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, rolling stock and service provision. Although the redevelopment represents the final element of EGIP, it was key to the strategic delivery of the wider outputs to introducing longer, electric trains and increasing capacity to manage passenger growth set to increase by 40% to 28 million by 2030.

Queen Street station is within a prominent location in the city centre and neighbours the city’s renowned civic square – George Square. Longer, electric trains were only possible if several platforms were extended by 26 metres each to accommodate the operation of Class 385 trains of up to eight carriage lengths. This was achieved by moving the concourse southwards and

reconfiguring a number of facilities to ensure the redevelopment remained within the station’s existing footprint. Extending the platforms also allowed the concourse to double in size (900 square metres to 2,002 square metres), significantly increasing the circulation space.

From the outset, the design considered the way passengers interact with the station and also the impact of the redevelopment on the public, including pedestrian flow in the vicinity, where bus stops would be re-located, and the way the station provided access to public transport links.

The design sought to create a building in keeping with the importance of the station’s location in the Glasgow City Centre Conservation Area, surrounded by important Listed buildings. At the same time, it created a new building that has prominence in the cityscape and facilitates direct views both into and out of the station.

A key element of the design was to open up Queen Street to provide clear views of the historic trainshed and enhance this feature so that it now directly interfaces with the overall redevelopment.

Importantly, the design also integrates the High Level and Low Level stations to create an all-encompassing station, providing step-free access for passengers throughout.

The design also incorporates views to the historic trainshed fanlight – providing visual structural connections between the old and the new buildings. Another visual connection between old and new was provided by the uncovering of a number of Victorian columns hidden for decades.

Through liaison with the Railway Heritage Trust these historic features were restored and have been positively received.

Careful consideration of the design extended to the materials and colours chosen to form the new concourse, which are directly related to historic materials – including Jura Stone, glass and bronze coloured cladding materials and steelwork.

The station facilities (ticket office, waiting room and retail) were located on the perimeter to ensure clarity of location and unobstructed, clear views.

The lift at the George Square entrance provides admittance from street level to the main concourse and down to the basement, including a ‘Changing Places’ toilet to support passengers with complex care needs. The High Level has a fully accessible ramp and two new lifts for platforms 8 and 9. It also has two accessible toilets, one in the waiting room and the other through the gateline.

The new High Level gateline, the first of its kind in Scotland, provides three automatic ticket gates connected with over-gateline displays, which are typically installed at stations with complex passenger flows. The gateline display information is replicated at height, allowing approaching passengers advance warning of flow direction, which enables them to make early decisions and avoid bumping into others. The displays also include information for passengers who need to use wide aisle gates.

The ‘next train’ A-Z board’s peripheral position, near the ticket office and Dundas Street entrance, gives an immediate guide for passengers toward their platform, train and time. This aids flow and prevents confusion and unnecessary disturbances on the concourse. Areas of the public realm have additional cycle parking (100 spaces in total) and wider, extended footpaths that meet the council’s requirement to ease access to nearby transport links for passengers.

The new management system of computer-managed heating, lighting, water and LED fitments reduce energy consumption. The Customer Information Screens (CIS) consists of 12 screens, as opposed to the previous eight and have a 30% lower power requirement.

Highly commended (Transport Design): Amey – A76 ex-situ Recycling – July 2021

Other shortlisted entries (Transport Design): AGS Airports Ltd - Project CAELUS McGill’s Buses – Transporting our technology and people to the future Amey – A77 Bellfield Solar Lighting Trial Transport Scotland, Atkins/Mouchel JV, Network Rail and BAM Nuttall - Tomatin to Moy - A9 Duelling Transport Scotland, BAM Nuttall, ScotRail

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Frontline Employee of the Year

Sponsored by

This award is for a frontline member of staff (for example, school crossing patrols, bus drivers, highways inspectors, receptionists) who has gone beyond the call of duty in their role and delivered a better service as a result. Nominees will have demonstrated a real commitment to their service.

WINNER

BILLY BELL Bus Driver, First Glasgow In April 2021, First Glasgow driver Billy Bell was driving the No.57 route and going about his usual business when passenger John McCann suffered a cardiac arrest. Billy was alerted that a passenger that had been taken ill and immediately stopped the bus on Pollokshaws Road to provide vital assistance.

As one of the passengers relayed messages from the ambulance call handler to Billy, he remained calm and performed life-saving CPR for a full 20 minutes, ensuring John remained alive until paramedics arrived. On the ambulance’s arrival, Billy was asked to continue chest compressions for a further 15 minutes, whilst paramedics set up a defibrillator to support John and take him to hospital.

Billy received widespread recognition for his actions in the UK and Scottish national media following his reunion with John almost a year after the event.

WINNER

STEPHEN DOCHERTY Training and Recruitment Officer, McGill’s Buses Stephen Docherty has worked for McGill’s Buses for more than 10 years in a variety of roles - Driver, Inspector, Route Manager, On Street Team Leader and now in the company's Training Academy as a Training and Recruitment Officer. In the last year Stephen has played a pivotal role in developing the company's class syllabus and updating existing module content to ensure that the best experience possible is provided for new recruits. This process has been a challenging one during a time when face-to-face training has been greatly reduced due to Covid-19. In addition to this, he has helped develop and launch a new marketing campaign for the Training Academy to support the recruitment of new staff to the business.

WINNER

MARC MACDUFF Bus Driver, First Glasgow On January 28, 2022, Mark MacDuff was on the No.3 route through Scotstounhill in Glasgow when he noticed smoke coming from the road ahead and another bus with its hazard lights on. Mark pulled his bus into the nearby bus stop, asked his passengers to sit tight as the road was blocked and he was going to investigate. After seeing there was a crash, Mark attended to three injured persons from a car that had tried to overtake an unidentified bus on the blind summit on Queen Victoria Drive. Mark took control of the situation using his military medical experience and categorised the patients by severity, pointing out to the paramedic who had missed the potential for internal bleeding on the driver. As a result of Mark’s heroic actions, the three injured people in the car – one with a shattered knee and two with internal bleeding – survived the road traffic collision and are continuing their recovery. Fire and Ambulance staff praised Mark’s coolness under pressure.

WINNER

DALE MCDONALD, Train Manager, CrossCountry Over the past year, Dale’s contribution to CrossCountry has been invaluable. He was recognised as having high potential and completed the Arriva Grow Leadership Programme in 2019 before becoming a Customer Service Manager at the start of the pandemic. Since taking on the role, he has provided critical support to the Edinburgh depot team, leading on the

day-to-day running of the depot and introducing and reviewing all Covid controls and audits.

During 2021, Dale worked hard during the pandemic and the disruption caused by the ScotRail strike action which put significant pressure on CrossCountry’s Saturday services. Dale liaised with LNER, Network Rail and ScotRail to instigate a “one team” approach to manage the volume of customers. This enabled efficient communications between stakeholders and ensured passengers were updated.

WINNER

STUART MEARNS Assistant Engineering Manager, Edinburgh Trams Stuart Mearns, an Assistant Engineering Manager at Edinburgh Trams has been hailed as a ‘lifesaver’ for administering first aid to a member of the public involved in a collision with a fast-moving train. Whilst on a break from his duties at the operator’s Gogar tram depot, Stuart instinctively leapt into action after hearing cries for help coming from the nearby Gateway ScotRail station. The first on the scene, Stuart followed advice from the emergency services over the phone while assisting the casualty who had sustained significant injuries. Thanks to his first aid skills and calmness under pressure the casualty remained in a stable condition until the arrival of the emergency services.

While the man sustained very serious, lifethreatening injuries, he continues to recover.

Stuart, who joined Edinburgh Trams in 2021, is known for his ‘can do’ attitude and calm presence. To all those who know him, his exceptional response to a major incident came as no surprise.

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Transport Contractor of the Year

This category is for suppliers of equipment and services to the rail and road industries.

Entrants must demonstrate the benefits accrued from the use of these products and services e.g., increased efficiencies, better integration, improved reliability, decreased crime levels etc.

WINNER

RAIL SYSTEMS ALLIANCE SCOTLAND Alliancing Delivering Results The Rail Systems Alliance Scotland (RSAS), an Alliance bringing together the collective engineering expertise of Network Rail, Babcock Rail and Arcadis, took up post in August 2019 to deliver track renewals and enhancement project works across Scotland’s Railway. It has delivered on average between 90-100 renewals each year as well as major enhancement and recovery works on Scotland’s Railway.

Its client, Network Rail recognised the success of securing more value, performance and results than traditional procurement arrangements with an Alliancing approach and sought this for the Control Periods 6 & 7. RSAS have been successfully delivering challenging complex works since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and Covid restrictions.

A key focus was keeping its team safe,

ensuring strong and robust protocols were in place by supporting the challenging run of works across its domestic workbank and enhancement projects. RSAS has been able to deliver throughout the period with over 170 Plain line, nine Switches and Crossing (S&C) Core renewals and over 30 Drainage renewals, as well as progressing enhancement projects.

Over and above its normal workbank obligations RSAS also undertook major recovery works on the Edinburgh to Glasgow Main Line following a breach of the Union Canal on August 12, 2020, during storms in the Polmont Area. This resulted in major disruptions to the various operators on that route with the line being closed as impassable with 1.1km needing to be renewed as well as significant other works. RSAS pulled on all areas of its business and key functional resources, stretching them at times beyond normal operational limits.

The scale of the work in front of the team was incredible given the devastation of the track. Whole sections of the track had been washed away due to the complete deterioration of the solum, and contamination of the ballast layers meant they would need to be replaced. A fasttracked entry point assessment was made with the plan developed within days. A sixweek programme was put in place including the setting up of the site and compounds, securing materials and organising trains.

Normally jobs are planned over around

two years. This site was extremely challenging with environmental and engineering issues, all fairly complex with civils’ rebuilding of embankments and formation. The track renewal had to be staged in a unique way due to the complex integration with the RSAS civils team working to rebuild the embankment at the same time as the track teams renewed the damaged track.

All partners excelled and delivered at the requested timescales and, most importantly, everyone went home safely with no accidents throughout this accelerated programme.

If there was ever a site to showcase strong collaboration and delivery, despite the added pressure from the pre-existing domestic workbank commitments, it was here – alliancing at its best.

Highly commended: BAM Nuttall – A21 Aberdeen to Inverness Improvement Project

Other shortlisted entries: Balfour Beatty – Redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station Atkins/Mouchel Joint Venture - Tomatin to Moy A9 Duelling

Previous winners: 2020:BAM Nuttall – Rail Division 2019:Morgan Sindall, Kerse Road Bridge

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Best Bus Service

This category recognises how changes to bus services and facilities have brought about improvements. An increase in passenger numbers; modal shift; improved customer satisfaction ratings; or improved reliability are all examples of the ways success could be documented.

WINNER

SCOTTISH CITYLINK COACHES Saltire Cross Network The Saltire Cross network is at the heart of Scottish Citylink’s operations, providing regular, affordable and high-quality daily services between six major Scottish cities - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. In the past two years this network has gone from strength to strength following the introduction of new vehicles and a new, improved timetable.

Scottish Citylink carries five million passengers a year. Like all transport businesses, it has faced many challenges over the past two years but the company has continued to make improvements for customers and return to pre-pandemic service levels while attracting customers back on board.

In 2019, the company launched an improved timetable offering hourly services from Glasgow or Edinburgh via Perth to Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen and

the network was extremely popular with customers prior to the pandemic. After the enforced service break during the initial Covid-19 lockdown, Citylink reintroduced the service in summer 2020 and has continued to make improvements for customers ever since.

In October 2020, the company introduced six brand new state-of-the-art Plaxton Panorama coaches, manufactured by Alexander Dennis. The luxury coaches have 71 reclining seats, offering additional legroom and more space for passengers to socially distance on journeys.

The company has also launched a brand new website to make it even easier to search for journeys and buy the best-value tickets.

In addition, Citylink’s marketing team undertook the ‘6 cities every 60 minutes’ campaign to relaunch the significantly improved Saltire Cross network following a series of timetable improvements.

Building on this principle the ‘6 cities every 60 minutes’ campaign tapped into the unique qualities of the coach and highlighted these more generally while also specifically referencing the Saltire Cross network improvements.

Marketing activity during the 6-week campaign was tailored to each individual city, using a variety of channels and contributing directly to almost £30,000 of additional sales.

The Saltire Cross network was also a key part of Citylink’s post-pandemic marketing strategy which centred around

restoring customer confidence in coach travel. The company undertook a threephase campaign to gently attract customers back on board as the Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed. Activity targeted Scottish residents, encouraging them to travel by coach to enjoy outdoor spaces and other activities as appropriate within the pandemic measures.

Each phase of the Citylink campaign had its own tailored message, bespoke to the specific circumstances the public faced at that point of the pandemic. As restrictions eased during 2021, the communications focused on the idea of getting back to old routines, embracing the new-found enjoyment of Scottish locations and venues, and the freedom to travel as they did before the pandemic.

In summer 2021, the network returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time since March 2020, and had its busiest summer since 2019, with strong month-on-month increases in passenger numbers as the summer progressed.

Overall, between April 2021 and August 2021, the network saw a 286% increase in the number of passenger journeys as people returned to coach travel. This recorded increase was partly as a result of the focused marketing campaign that was delivered throughout April and May 2021, which aimed to restore customer confidence in coach travel as Covid-19 restrictions were eased by the Scottish Government.

Overall, the Saltire Cross network saw month-on-month increases that were 51% higher in summer 2021 than the monthly increases recorded in summer 2019. The network also delivered strong operational performance, with 97% of services arriving on time during 2021. As a result of the continual improvements, strong marketing, and excellent performance, Citylink has received praise from many Saltire Cross customers in the past year including positive comments on the quality of the vehicles and the scenery on many of the journeys.

Other shortlisted entries: Lothian Buses – Vaccination Service McGill’s Bus Group – Switch Strathclyde Partnership for Transport – COP26 Delegate Shuttle Service

Previous winners: 2020: Scottish Citylink Coaches – Service 900: Glasgow – Edinburgh 2019: First Glasgow - Service 75 2018: Stagecoach West Scotland – Go More With X74 2017: Stagecoach North Scotland – JET 727 2016: Lothian Country Buses Service 113 – Going Your Way

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Public Transport Operator of the Year

Open to rail, bus, taxi and river/ sea passenger service operators, this category is an opportunity to showcase the range of initiatives that a public transport operator has been involved in to improve services.

WINNER

MCGILL’S BUS GROUP McGill’s Bus Group is the UK’s largest privately owned bus operator with over 600 vehicles and a team of around 1,750 staff. The company has grown to operate a network of routes covering much of Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, North Ayrshire and Dundee – and now East Scotland following its recent acquisition of First East Scotland.

The company’s coaching division operates as far afield as London and its private hire operation delivers open top tours, transport to private functions and days away tours.

A family-owned business with a reputation as a high quality, customer centric operation, McGill’s embarked on several innovative and exciting projects last year.

Key to its success is its journey to zero emissions and the delivery of 68 zero emission electric buses that it launched in late 2021. This was really important to

McGill’s and made it the largest operator of zero-emission vehicles in Scotland.

The necessary infrastructure that was required and put in place simultaneously across three depots, delivered in time for the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021 was a huge undertaking and working with external partners it was delivered from concept to completion in less than 12 months.

This ambitious project successfully electrified 60% of the company’s depots and 20% of its fleet. The charging infrastructure was future-proofed to enable further growth of the fleet through sufficient grid power procurement and oversizing of electrical equipment. Over 15 years this project will remove 67,350 tonnes of CO2 from Glasgow and Dundee.

Upskilling drivers on the required driving techniques was critical to the success of this project. McGill’s says that “our people make us what we are”, and training and engagement are therefore key to the success of the business and its future. The continual development of McGill's staff is fundamental in making the company a leading operator in the sector. This is continually delivered and developed across all departments utilising its dedicated Training Academy which works with all of its team members to ensure that the best product is delivered to the customer.

To ensure that everyone in the nondriving team fully appreciates what customers experience, the company’s ‘Walk the Job’ program ensures that all managers and supervisors experience first hand what it’s like to use its services.

It is this team approach that helped the company through the very difficult Covid period when its key worker team ensured that other key workers could get to their place of work and people could get to the shops, medical appointments and undertake other necessary travel.

The end result is an exceptionally well presented, high quality, reliable and safe network of services that McGill’s and the local communities that it serves can be proud of. Bus Users Scotland monitoring of McGill’s services in 2020 and 2021 provided some exceptional feedback on the company’s service delivery with 96.8% punctuality observed and accompanying comments such as “highly impressive” and “good standards across this service”.

Highly commended: Edinburgh Trams First Glasgow Lothian Buses Scottish Citylink Coaches Stagecoach East Scotland SPT Glasgow Subway

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Airport of the Year

An entry in this category would provide evidence of excellence or significant improvement in overall performance or provision of facilities over the past 12 months. KPIs and customer satisfaction results will be particularly relevant as evidence of this.

WINNER

AGS AIRPORTS LTD Aberdeen International Airport Pre-pandemic Aberdeen International Airport (AIA) was the north-east of Scotland’s major transport hub, contributing more than £110m a year to the local economy. It is the gateway to Europe’s energy capital and is Europe’s busiest commercial heliport supporting 3,400 jobs.

Owned by AGS Airports, the airport has been at the heart of the community since 1934. The success of the airport and the prosperity of the region are inextricably linked, with AIA vital to the region’s pandemic recovery.

Despite challenges the airport’s ABZ Propeller Fund was launched in 2021 to make a share of £25,000 available to worthy causes with links to education, sustainability, and economic regeneration.

AIA has for two years dealt with and adapted to the pandemic which devastated the airport. In 2021 it lost two million passengers compared to 2019 with 400 direct/indirect jobs lost.

Despite carrying just one million

passengers in both 2020 and 2021 AIA remained open to support critical lifeline services to island communities for hospital flights and to ensure the lights were kept on throughout the country for the energy industry to operate.

AIA also supported the region by facilitating the conversion of the Park & Depart facility to an NHS coronavirus testing centre. This vital resource has proved an integral element of the pandemic response.

This is separate from the dedicated Covid testing facility launched in the terminal for international travellers.

The airport’s sustainability strategy launched in June 2021 sets out how AGS will balance the undoubted economic and social benefits of aviation with its climate change responsibilities. The airport’s sustainability policy sets out how it will grow in a responsible and sustainable manner by addressing its environmental impacts, understanding its economic impacts and widening the social benefits it can deliver.

The airport’s sustainability credentials have also been shared with key stakeholders such as Visit Aberdeenshire to help the region when pitching for conferences to come to the region which bolster the local economy. AIA joined the Slave Free Alliance in 2020 and reconfirmed its commitment in 2021 during Anti-Slavery Week. By working with the Slave Free Alliance, it has been able to further educate its staff, strengthen its policies, and have the necessary procedures in place to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere within its business or supply chain.

AIA is a signatory to Sustainable Aviation’s decarbonisation roadmap, which is the first national net zero aviation commitment anywhere in the world.

So far, through its sustainability strategy and complementary work, the airport has achieved carbon neutrality status for the emissions under its direct control and is set to achieve net zero carbon for its direct emissions by the mid-2030s. Electricity is already taken from 100% renewable sources.

The airport is also looking to the future as parent company AGS is leading a consortium that includes 13 organisations to develop and trial what will be the UK’s first national distribution network to use drones to transport essential medicines, blood, organs and other medical supplies throughout Scotland. Project CAELUS (see page 16) is looking to demonstrate how autonomous drone technology can enhance access to essential medical supplies, particularly in rural parts of Scotland. Live flight trials are taking place in 2022.

Despite losing key hub routes like Paris, the airport has continued to work with airline partners to help the tourism and business communities. 2021 saw the return of London Gatwick, a route about which passengers were very vocal in their disappointment when it was discontinued in 2018. The route has been so successful that earlier this year it increased to twice daily.

The airport has managed to grow its retail offering. In June 2021, Lagardere Travel Retail opened its Discover Aberdeen store. It is the first store the company has opened at AIA, creating 10 jobs. With Dixons exiting all UK airports, InMotion became the airport’s new technology retail partner, creating 10 jobs when it opened in November 2021.

Part of the airport’s offering for lifeline services was a private NHS Lounge for patients and their travel companions.

This previously operated with an airline partner who exited its contract. AIA kept this valuable asset going as restrictions at hospitals meant many had no place to go before or after appointments.

Highly commended: Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) – Inverness Airport

Other shortlisted entry: Glasgow Airport Ltd

Previous winners: 2020: Glasgow Airport Ltd 2019: Glasgow Airport Ltd 2018: Edinburgh Airport 2017: Inverness Airport 2016: Glasgow Airport

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