Appendix A - Mobility Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
Perth and Kinross Council · 27 May 2026
Back to Climate Change and Sustainability Committee — 27 May 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Appendix A: Mobility Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation Plan The Mobility Strategy and evaluation plan consists of two components: process evaluation and outcome evaluation. Process evaluation will track delivery of the Action Plan by action owners. Outcome evaluation will focus on monitoring the achievement of the Transport Planning Objectives (TPOs) in accordance with the agreed indicators and baseline data outlined below. Process Evaluation The Mobility Strategy includes an Action Plan, and 167 actions are currently listed to achieve the Strategy’s TPOs. Monitoring of the Action Plan is co-ordinated through the Mobility Strategy Working Group, using the Monitoring and Evaluation sheet appended to the main report, containing an update from each action owner (see Appendix B). To support the monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan, an exercise was undertaken to sharpen its focus for delivery. This concluded with a rationalised action list following merging or consolidating actions containing duplication or removing those that were not specific enough. Some actions have been reworded, particularly where wording has become dated, while maintaining the strategic intention. Some actions, on review, were deemed to be policy statements rather than something that could be directly actioned. These were extracted into a list of policy statements, which will be considered through development of Local Development Plan 3 and the Roads Development Guide. This process has reduced the number of actions from 167 to 126. The revised Action Plan is included in Appendix C of the main report. Analysis of the Action Plan shows 80% of the actions are under the direct influence of PKC. The remaining actions are led by regional and national partners such as Tactran, Network Rail and Transport Scotland. For these actions, PKC plays a supporting and/or influencing role, however they are all necessary to improve the transport situation across Perth and Kinross. Although 80% of actions are assigned to PKC as the lead action owner, a review of the scale and associated cost highlights the strong dependence of delivery on significant funding from Scottish Government. It is proposed that the action owners will provide annual updates on their assigned actions which will be shared with the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee convenors. Through quarterly meetings of the Mobility Strategy Working Group, action owners and stakeholders will engage on opportunities for alignment, synergy and partnering. Outcome Evaluation A description of the indicators and data sources identified to monitor each TPO is set out below. Data gaps have been identified where data is not readily available, and avenues to be explored to fill these gaps are identified. The intention is for outcome evaluation data to be updated and reported every two years to the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee. TPO 1: To improve the affordability of transport options across Perth and Kinross for all This objective seeks to improve the ability of households to pay for travel without sacrificing essential needs. Public Health Scotland warns that transport affordability is a key factor that can place households at risk of transport poverty and public health issues. Transport poverty is an important aspect of social and economic inclusion and is typically defined as when the cost of travel is at least 10% of household income. This data is not currently available, and in its absence, Appendix 1
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we will use alternative data sources from partners who are monitoring travel costs and the impacts on households and economic hardship. Perth and Kinross Council, by funding bus services, is working towards providing an affordable travel option for households but funding constraints place this work at risk. Budget constraints highlight the limited role that PKC can play in advancing the affordability objective and points to the need for support from Scottish Government. TPO 1: To improve the affordability of transport options across Perth and Kinross for all Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Number of residents registered for The Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC) Cardholder data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO) 31 March 2026: ▪ 21, 216 (Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme) ▪ 50, 899 (Older & Disabled Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme). Adults (16+) who used a local bus service in the past month, percentages who agreed with each statement: 'the fares are good value' Scottish Household Survey Local Authority results: Table LA14A: Adults (16+) who used a local bus service in the past month, percentages who agreed with each statement 2024: ▪ 68% agreed that bus fares are good value in Perth & Kinross % of household income spent on transport Data gap: no data source available. We will work with partners to develop data sources as part of Transport Scotland and Public Health Scotland’s work on transport poverty. Not applicable TPO 2: To improve the ability of rural communities and communities with protected characteristics to access jobs, education and services. This objective addresses the challenges that rural communities and people with protected characteristics face to access jobs, education, and essential services. Our intention is thus to monitor whether rural communities and people with protected characteristics can physically, affordably, safely, and reliably reach jobs, education, and essential services. The National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) data was made available for the Perth and Kinross area by Tactran. This dataset, which is also used by Tactran to monitor the Regional Transport Strategy’s accessibility indicators, has provided useful data on the proportion of 16 – 24-year-olds able to access a range of employment opportunities and further education facilities, as well as the percentage of population in rural areas able to access various services by public transport within 30 minutes.
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Currently, a data gap identified is access for people with disabilities. This data is not readily available and avenues for how this data is best collected will be explored with Tactran and the Equalities Strategic Forum TPO 2: To improve the ability of rural communities and communities with protected characteristics to access jobs, education and services Indicator Data Set Current Baseline % of 16–24-year-olds able to access a range of employment opportunities within 40 mins/60 mins by public transport The National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) 2023: ▪ Within 40 minutes: 80.5% ▪ Within 60 minutes: 63.8% % of 16–24-year-olds able to access further education facilities within 40 mins/60 mins by public transport The National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) 2023: ▪ Within 40 minutes: 38% ▪ Within 60 minutes: 74.3% % of population within rural areas able to access by public transport within 30mins/40mins/60mins: (a) range of employment opportunities, (b) further education and (c) centres with a large food store and (d) Post Office The National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) 2023: 30 mins ▪ Further Education: 15.7% ▪ Food Store: 41% ▪ Post Office: 78.3% 2023: 40 mins ▪ Employment: 63.9% 2023: 60 mins ▪ Employment: 56.6% ▪ Further Education: 61.4% ▪ Food Store: 67.5% ▪ Post Office: 80.7% Ability of people with disabilities to access jobs, education, and services Data gap: no data source available. We will work with partners and the Equalities Strategic Forum to develop data sources. Not applicable TPO 3: To reduce CO2 emissions produced by transport across Perth and Kinross, by reducing car kilometres, decarbonising motorised transport and increasing the share of everyday journeys of people and goods by sustainable and active travel modes. Emissions from transport are one of the leading contributors to climate change and a key objective of the Strategy is thus to reduce them. Tackling transport emissions is dependent on the transition from fossil fuel to electric-powered vehicles, a meaningful mode shift from driving to public transport and active travel, and a shift of freight transport to more sustainable modes. As such, the
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Mobility Strategy needs to monitor the proportion of vehicles that are electric, mode shares for freight and everyday journeys, and vehicle miles travelled. Further, overall emissions from transport will be monitored. Reducing vehicle miles travelled includes reducing the amount of freight transported by road. Mode share for freight is however identified as a data gap at this stage, and we will work with Tactran’s Regional Freight Quality Partnership to explore this objective and the associated indicator further. TPO 3: To reduce CO2 emissions produced by transport across Perth and Kinross, by reducing car kilometres, decarbonising motorised transport and increasing the share of everyday journeys of people and goods by sustainable and active travel modes Indicator Data Set Current Baseline CO2 emissions from transport in Perth and Kinross UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics: 2005 to 2023: Table 2.1: Local authority territorial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions estimates within the scope of influence of local authorities 2005-2023 (kt CO2e) - Subset dataset (Excludes large industrial sites, railways, motorways, land-use, livestock and soils) Transport Total 2023: 391.9 kt CO2e down from 398.4 kt CO2e in 2022. This figure includes 306.4 on A-Roads and 79.9 on minor roads. Mode Share - Main Mode of Travel Scottish Household Survey: Transport and Travel in Scotland: Table LA16: SHS Travel Diary - Main mode of travel (percentages) in Perth and Kinross: 2024 Main Mode of Travel: Perth and Kinross (2024) 24% Walking 54% Driver (car/ van) 16% Passenger (car / van) 1% Bicycle 5% Bus 1% Rail Mode Share - Journeys to School Hands up Scotland Survey (HUSS), 2025. HUSS 2025 for Perth and Kinross: 39% walk 4% cycle 2% scooter/ skate 8% park & stride 24% driven 20% bus 2% taxi Freight vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) travelled by road DfT Road Traffic Statistics TACTRAN 2022 Light Commercial & Heavy Goods Vehicle: 436 million miles travelled Percentage of cars and vans registered in Perth & Kinross that are electric DfT Vehicle licensing statistics September 2025 2.8% Car Kilometres Travelled in Perth and Kinross DfT Road Traffic Statistics TACTRAN Climate KPI data 1824 million vehicle km travelled on roads in Perth & Kinross in 2024. Mode share (Freight) Data Gap We are working with Tactran’s Regional Freight Quality
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Partnership to develop meaningful indicators. TPO4: To improve climate resilience across Perth and Kinross’s transport network by reducing the impacts caused by extreme weather events This objective seeks to improve the way in which the transport network responds to adverse weather events and the associated actions relate to reducing the need for road and bridge closures, reducing the number of delayed and cancelled services, proactively assessing the transport network for climate risk and implementing resilience interventions. As part of the PKC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, the number of road closures due to weather events is being monitored, and data sources to monitor climate risk for PKC assets will largely be developed in-house through formal recording and reporting processes. Rail service delays will be monitored using Network Rail’s reports on delays and cancellations due to adverse weather. This data is sourced via Tactran. TPO4: To improve climate resilience across Perth and Kinross’s transport network by reducing the impacts caused by extreme weather events Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Number of public road closures due to flooding or other climate change impacts Internal (RMP) - Climate Change Resilience indicator 99 in 2023/24 Indicator under development relating to PKC assets assessed for climate risk (proactively) Data source under development in consultation with the Roads Authority (Structures). Not applicable Number of rail services cancelled/ delayed due to adverse weather Network Rail performance data sourced via Tactran 2024 ▪ Glasgow – Aberdeen Line: 15 cancelled, 10 part-cancelled, 186 failures ▪ Glasgow/ Edinburgh – Perth/ Inverness: 45 cancelled, 10 part- cancelled, 193 failures TPO 5: To support economic growth by improving the reliability and efficiency of Perth and Kinross’s transport network. Reliable journey times are a key component of economic efficiency, and this objective will be monitored by measuring bus, rail, and general road network journey time reliability. Ideally, indicators would monitor deviations from scheduled arrival and departure times for public transport, and congestion, queuing and delays on the road network. Bus journey time reliability is a data gap at this stage, and the PKC Public Transport Unit (PTU) is working to secure comprehensive data from operators, which is a requirement of our supported service contracts. For rail services, Scotrail’s annual on-time arrival at destination figures will be utilised. Scotrail’s Public Performance Measure (PPM) is the standard measure for train service
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performance throughout the UK and includes two elements – punctuality and reliability. Current figures suggest that the percentage of ScotRail services that arrive or terminate at Perth within 5 minutes of their booked arrival time is 86.3%, compared with Glasgow Queen Street (89.1%) and Edinburgh (88.7%). To monitor journey time reliability by road, PKC is currently in the process of procuring a TomTom licence to be in a position to monitor free-flow and congestion conditions, and to highlight key hotspots for interventions to improve traffic flow. TPO 5: To support economic growth by improving the reliability and efficiency of Perth and Kinross’s transport network Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Bus journey time reliability Data source under development. Bus journey time reliability is a data gap at this stage, and the Public Transport Unit (PTU) is working to secure comprehensive data from operators. Not applicable. Rail journey time reliability Scotrail annual on-time arrival at destination - available for Perth 2026 Perth - The percentage of ScotRail services that arrive or terminate at this location within 5 minutes of their booked arrival time - 86.4% Road journey time reliability and congestion on key economic road network corridors – indicator under development. After procuring a TomTom licence, we will be in a position to develop a suitable indicator and dataset. Not applicable Indicator under development: bus and rail service integration. Data source under development. Not applicable TPO 6: To support local development that encourages and facilitates local living and sustainable access, across Perth and Kinross, by achieving an increased active travel and public transport mode split to and from new developments. National Planning Framework 4, policy 13 (f) specifies that development proposals for significant travel generating uses, or smaller-scale developments where it is important to monitor travel patterns resulting from the development, will only be supported if they are accompanied by a Travel Plan with supporting planning conditions/obligations. Travel plans should set out clear arrangements for delivering against transport mode share targets, as well as monitoring and evaluation, which would produce mode share data. At present, this is a data gap and the requirement for monitoring of travel plans requires strengthening and this will be addressed through the LDP3 and internal development management processes.
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TPO 6: To support local development that encourages and facilitates local living and sustainable access, across Perth and Kinross, by achieving an increased active travel and public transport mode split to and from new developments Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Mode share for selected new developments. Data Gap Not applicable TPO 7: To improve the capacity and reliability of alternative sustainable freight and logistic modes across Perth and Kinross To encourage sustainable movement of freight, the Mobility Strategy seeks to enhance the capacity of vehicles and logistics centres – fundamentally impacting on the efficiency and cost of sustainable freight movements. While this is not directly under the influence of PKC, we will seek to partner with stakeholders to enable a meaningful mode shift. The indicator for this objective is currently under development, and the intention is to explore data sources related to sustainable freight capacity, e.g., EV vans, cargo bikes, consolidation centres, and zero-emission last mile solutions. There is very limited data on freight publicly available, and we intend to progress developing the indicator and data sources through Tactran’s Regional Freight Quality Partnership which will resume later this financial year. TPO 7: To improve the capacity and reliability of alternative sustainable freight and logistic modes across Perth and Kinross Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Indicator under development. No appropriate data source has been identified; therefore, no indicator has been developed. We are engaging with partners on the development of indicators for the local area and the region. Not applicable TPO 8: To improve labour market access through sustainable transport, active travel, and digital opportunities, to and from Perth and Kinross. The Mobility Strategy seeks to connect employers with the labour market through sustainable means by ensuring that the necessary public transport, active travel, and digital connectivity opportunities are available. The objective relates to both supporting employers within the Perth and Kinross area to secure the necessary labour and also supporting employers outwith Perth and Kinross to secure labour from the PKC area. We will seek to undertake spatial and transport accessibility analysis of key employment centres with the location of employees and job seekers. The indicator for this is currently under development due to the complexity of the modelling required. However, a proxy has been identified from the National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) made available by Tactran. This data assesses the percentage of regional jobs accessible within 60 minutes by public transport for Perth and Kinross residents.
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Digital connectivity is recognised as a highly impactful way to reduce non-discretionary travel where there are suitable digital opportunities available. Digital opportunities for work, retail, and accessing services requires that the necessary digital infrastructure is in place and accessible to businesses, households, and service providers. The Strategy proposes to monitor internet speeds and coverage in the region using UK Parliament constituency statistics for broadband coverage and speeds. TPO 8: To improve labour market access through sustainable transport, active travel, and digital opportunities, to and from Perth and Kinross Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Availability of broadband coverage. PKC-wide data from Ofcom 2025: ▪ Superfast availability 91.5% ▪ Gigabit availability 57.6% ▪ Unable to receive decent broadband 0.7% % of regional jobs accessible within 60 minutes by public transport The National Public Transport Accessibility Tool (NaPTAT) 2023: 59% of regional jobs are accessible within 60 mins by public transport TPO 9: To improve road safety and perceived safety for all transport users across Perth and Kinross. Scotland’s ambition is to have zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 2050, and the Mobility Strategy seeks to promote a safer transport network in Perth and Kinross. By implementing measures such as reducing speeds to 20mph in residential areas and implementing safe road design, we can improve road safety outcomes in Perth and Kinross. Transport Scotland data will be utilised to monitor killed and seriously injured (KSI) road safety data for Perth and Kinross. Further, the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans) has recently produced the results of the Walking and Cycling Index for Perth (2025). This is a biennial publication that uses a representative sample to determine perceptions of safety, and this will be used as a key Mobility Strategy indicator. TPO 9: To improve road safety and perceived safety for all transport users across Perth and Kinross Indicator Data Set Current Baseline ▪ Total number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads in PKC ▪ Total number of children killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads in PKC Transport Scotland road safety data for Perth and Kinross (Local authority code 819, S12000024) 2024 ▪ Total KSI = 96 ▪ Child KSI = 7
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Perceived safety - Proportion of residents who think walking and wheeling safety is good Walking & Cycling Index (Perth) 2024: 77% of residents think it’s safe to walk or wheel in their local area, compared to 67% in 2023. 2024: 56% of residents think it’s safe for children to walk or wheel in their local area, compared to 52% in 2023. Perceived safety - Proportion of residents who think cycling safety is good Walking & Cycling Index (Perth) 2024: 48% of residents think it’s safe to cycle in their local area, compared to 40% in 2023. 2024: 36% of residents think it’s safe for children to cycle in their local area, compared to 34% in 2023. TPO 10: To improve physical and mental health within Perth and Kinross through walking, wheeling and cycling. Active travel is strongly associated with improvements in physical and mental health. The Mobility Strategy thus seeks to encourage improved levels of active travel, recognising the role that active travel plays in public health outcomes. Given that there is established evidence for the benefits of walking and cycling for health, the proposed indicator is the share of journeys made by active travel using data from the Scottish Household Survey. The indicator has been proposed in consultation with NHS Tayside, Tactran, and Public Health Scotland. According to the 2025 Walking and Cycling Index for Perth, the physical activity of walking prevents 33 early deaths annually, and walking and wheeling in the city prevents 144 serious long-term health conditions each year. TPO 10: To improve physical; and mental health within Perth and Kinross through walking, wheeling and cycling Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Percentage of adult journeys travelling by either cycling or walking. Scottish Household Survey. 2024: 25% journeys by walking or cycling. Number of early deaths and serious long-term health conditions prevented annually Walking & Cycling Index (Perth) 2025 The physical activity of walking in Perth prevents 33 early deaths annually, and walking and wheeling in the city prevents 144 serious long- term health conditions each year
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TPO 11: To improve air quality across Perth and Kinross’s road network by achieving revocation of both Air Quality Management Areas and reducing preventable pollutants Air pollution remains the single largest environmental health risk in the United Kingdom, with emissions from transport being a key contributor. While there has been a generally consistent downward trend in both nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) within the Perth AQMA since 2009, the most recent air quality modelling of Perth still identifies pollutant hotspots with borderline objective compliance. For example, while there has not been an exceedance of the NO2 objective in Perth since 2018, levels are still high in hotspots, with Atholl Street recording the second highest NO2 levels in Scotland in 2023. To monitor this objective, indicators will include the number of monitoring sites with exceedance of the annual mean, as well as the number of monitoring sites where the annual mean is increasing and decreasing. There are 75 monitoring sites providing good coverage of the PKC road network, 71 are diffusion tubes which only monitor NO2, 4 in Perth are Real Time Monitors which continuously record data for NO2, PM10 and PM2.5. Data sources have been developed in partnership with PKC Environmental Health. It should also be noted that following the procurement of Paramics traffic modelling software, PKC is in an improved position to monitor emissions from transport. TPO 11: To improve air quality across Perth and Kinross’s road network by achieving revocation of both Air Quality Management Areas and reducing preventable pollutants Indicator Data Set Current Baseline Number of monitoring sites where the annual mean air pollutant levels exceed national objectives Council Annual Air Quality Monitoring. 2025 No annual mean exceedances for NO2 (75 sites) or PM10/PM2.5 (4 sites) Number of monitoring sites where annual mean air pollutant levels are increasing & decreasing Council Annual Air Quality Monitoring. 2025 For NO2 (75 sites) Increasing (9), Decreasing (61), No Change (2), Not applicable, first year in place (3) For PM10 & PM2.5, interim figures to be adjusted (4 sites) Increasing (3), Decreasing (1)