Commentary on Sections Part 1: Regional Transport Regional transport strategies Section 6: Procedure before and after the drawing up of regional transport strategies
29.Section 6 places a duty on each Transport Partnership to submit its transport strategy to the Scottish Ministers. Section 6(1)(b) sets the deadlines for this; for the first set of strategies, produced by the Partnerships to be created by 31 March 2006, the strategies must be completed by 31 March 2007. In any other case the deadline is within 12 months of the establishment of the Partnership. The timing of subsequent strategies is covered by section 7. In line with section 6(1)(a), before submitting the strategy the Transport Partnership must consult its constituent councils, each Health Board covered wholly or partly by the region and other persons as it thinks fit.
30.Section 6(2) enables each Transport Partnership to request, within 8 months of their creation, an extension to the 12 month time limit to produce its regional transport strategy. Prior to granting an extension, the Scottish Ministers have the power at section 6(3) to require Transport Partnerships to produce reports or documentation which might, for instance, include details of progress made to date.
31.Under section 6(4) the transport strategy becomes effective when it is approved by the Scottish Ministers and when deciding, under section 6(5), whether to approve the strategy the Scottish Ministers will assess, amongst other factors, the extent to which it will assist with the realisation of their own transport policies.
32.Section 6(7)(c) places a duty on the Transport Partnerships to publish their completed strategies.