The report, ‘SPT: Delivering for Inverclyde’, shows £3.3 million of capital funding was awarded to support a range of sustainable transport projects in the area between 2017 and 2021.

Almost £1.4 million of additional money was also awarded to Inverclyde Council in 2021/22 to support their delivery.

The investment includes £650,000 from SPT to widen Chapelton Bridge in Port Glasgow and provide a footway on both sides to increase pedestrian safety and provide an important walking route to the local St John’s Primary School.

SPT has also supported the regeneration of Greenock Town Centre, with £575,000 invested to date and a further £500,000 awarded in this financial year.

This project will see the completion of junction improvement works at Grey Place/West Blackhall Street, as well as the relocation and upgrade of signals at the junction of William Street/Dalrymple Street to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists and general traffic flow.

A further £430,000 has been contributed to the regeneration of Port Glasgow town centre since 2018 to help improve the town’s walking and cycling environment and link the railway station, bus station and town centre.

And £800,000 of support was provided to a road alignment project at Bakers Street and Bakers Brae by Riverside Inverclyde to remove the corner and open up regeneration opportunities.

SPT has also funded a study to identify measures that could improve traffic flow along the A770, awarded money to community transport organisations, and paid for improvements in the Lunderston Bay area, as well as carrying 2,000 children to school every day.

Inverclyde is one of is one of 12 council areas to benefit from funding provided by SPT, which also covers East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and the Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute.

The transport body pointed out that the cross-council boundary nature of transport and travel means investment in one area will benefit all residents who travel for work or leisure.

Across the west of Scotland, SPT has supported 6.1 million bus station departures across Buchanan, Hamilton, East Kilbride, Greenock, Braehead and Silverburn in recent years.

It has sold 515,000 ZoneCard tickets since 2017/18 across the Subway and participating rail and bus operators, and 43.7 million Subway journeys have been taken since 2017.

It has supported 200 bus services run by around 20 operators on behalf of SPT, and has 33 MyBus services operating in the west of Scotland.

SPT has also invested in several regional projects in recent years, including the Subway Modernisation Project, its ongoing bus stop and shelter upgrade programme and its Real Time Passenger Information roll out.

Valerie Davidson, chief executive of SPT, said:

“We continue to deliver a range of services in Inverclyde and across the region either directly or on behalf of councils.

“As this report shows, we have invested more than £4.5 million over the last five years in sustainable transport projects in the area.

“SPT’s activities support the west of Scotland’s regional transport network to the benefit of all residents who travel across the area.

“While the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in significant impacts on our operational activities due to reduced travel demand, the majority of services were maintained to ensure transport remained in place for key workers and those making essential trips.”