Transport Scotland is expected to be brought into the core Scottish Government around the turn of the financial year, Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn has told Holyrood’s Transport Committee.
The move was included in the SNP’s manifesto for the May parliamentary election and would place Transport Scotland under greater direct ministerial oversight. The agency is currently an executive body operating at arm’s length from ministers.
Flynn said the process remains at an early stage, with Transport Scotland now under the remit of Gregor Irwin, the Scottish Government’s director-general for economy. No final decisions have yet been made on the detailed organisational arrangements.
Asked whether there were concerns about Transport Scotland’s performance, Flynn did not identify specific problems. Instead, he described the wider transport system as “cluttered”, arguing that bringing the agency into government could streamline operations and improve accountability.
The Scottish Government said the reform aims to simplify governance, strengthen accountability and bring transport policy and delivery closer to wider government priorities.
Flynn has previously argued that Scotland’s transport system has evolved into a complex network of national bodies, agencies and local organisations, creating blurred responsibilities and limited integration. The government says the reform is intended to support economic growth, connectivity and more effective use of public investment.