Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership

What Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership does

Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (Tactran) is a statutory Regional Transport Partnership established in 2005 under the Regional Transport Partnerships (Establishment, Membership and Constitution) (Scotland) Order 2005 and the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005. It is a public sector body that develops regional transport strategy and oversees its implementation across four constituent council areas: Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council, and Stirling Council. The organisation is governed by a Partnership Board comprising 10 councillor members from the four councils and 5 non-councillor members endorsed by the Minister for Transport.

Tactran's core deliverable is the Regional Transport Strategy — the most recent iteration covering 2024–2034 was approved by the Cabinet Secretary and adopted in June 2024. Beyond strategy, it operates a portfolio of programmes and digital platforms: the MaaS ENABLE journey planning platform (launched 2021), the People and Place Programme driving sustainable travel behaviour change, the Regional Active Travel Network, the Tayside Bus Alliance, Bus Park and Ride infrastructure, Local Rail Development Fund projects, and a Regional Electric Vehicle Strategy. The Integrated Mobility Partnership with SEStran extends its convening role beyond the Tactran region for knowledge sharing on MaaS deployments.

Tactran is funded through the Scottish Government's transport budget and constituent council contributions; it does not commercialise services and has no commercial pricing model. Its core team comprises approximately 8 staff led by Partnership Director Mark Speed (appointed April 2020), with a recent leadership refresh in 2025. The organisation operates from Bordeaux House in Perth and serves as the statutory coordinator between local councils, Transport Scotland, and delivery partners including NHS Tayside, Sustrans, Living Streets, ScotRail, and local bus operators.

Name

Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership

Legal name

Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership

Website

https://tactran.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tactran is a statutory Scottish public body that develops and implements regional transport strategy across the Tayside and Central Scotland region, serving four constituent councils (Angus, Dundee City, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) and funded by the Scottish Government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Transport Planning

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (4851), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Transit Agencies (Bus, Rail, Metro, Paratransit) (BPAIALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation & Infrastructure Planning (BPAHAKAF), Urban Rail Transit Authorities & Public Transport Agencies (THAIABAD), Roadside Drainage, Stormwater & Erosion Control Maintenance (TLAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Regional transport planning
• Public transport strategy
• Sustainable travel programmes
• Active travel infrastructure
• Mobility as a service

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Scottish Government Funding: As a Regional Transport Partnership established under the Transport Act (Scotland) 2005, Tactran is funded through the Scottish Government's transport budget. The partnership receives core funding for operational costs and project-specific grants for transport initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tactran develops and oversees implementation of the Regional Transport Strategy for the Tayside and Central Scotland region, coordinating transport planning across Angus, Dundee City, Perth & Kinross, and Stirling Councils. It delivers digital MaaS platforms, active travel programmes, and infrastructure projects including bus park-and-ride, rail development, and electric vehicle strategies. The partnership is funded by Scottish Government grants and works with councils, Transport Scotland, NHS bodies, and local organisations to deliver sustainable transport outcomes.

Product overview

Tactran operates as a regional transport partnership covering Tayside and Central Scotland, offering a portfolio of strategic planning services, digital mobility platforms, and infrastructure programmes. The core offering is the Regional Transport Strategy 2024-2034, which guides medium to long-term transport planning. Tactran delivers digital MaaS (Mobility as a Service) platforms through the ENABLE Project, enabling journey planning and booking across multiple transport modes. The People and Place Programme drives behaviour change towards sustainable travel through active travel, cycling, and public transport initiatives. Infrastructure projects include the Bus Alliance, Park and Ride facilities, Rail Development Fund projects, and the Regional Active Travel Network. Supporting strategies cover Climate Change, Electric Vehicles, Freight, Health and Transport integration, and Strategic Connectivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• People and Place Programme: A programme supporting Sustainable and Active Travel across the Tactran region, encouraging behaviour change and promoting local and regional projects.
• MaaS ENABLE Project
• Integrated Mobility Partnership

Products and services

• Tayside and Central Scotland Regional Transport Strategy 2024-2034 The primary strategic document setting out the vision for medium to long-term transport planning in the Tayside and Central Scotland region, covering roads, rail, sea, and air transport. It is delivered to and approved by the Cabinet Secretary and adopted by the Partnership Board.
• MaaS ENABLE Platform Mobility as a Service digital platform providing journey planning, exploration, and booking of multi-modal transport options across the region. Launched via pilot apps and websites in partnership with NHS Tayside, Dundee and Angus College, and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
• People and Place Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Adopted Tayside and Central Scotland Regional Transport Strategy 2024-2034 following Cabinet Secretary approval
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Angus CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Constituent council partner in Tactran's Regional Transport Partnership. Angus Council is one of four councils that comprise the Tactran region, providing governance representation and supporting transport project delivery within Angus.
• Dundee City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Constituent council partner in Tactran's Regional Transport Partnership. Dundee City Council provides councillor representatives and collaborates on transport initiatives including the Bell Street Cycle Hub project.
• Perth & Kinross CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Constituent council partner in Tactran's Regional Transport Partnership. Perth & Kinross Council provides governance representation and hosts Partnership Board meetings at Council Chambers in Perth.
• Stirling CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Constituent council partner in Tactran's Regional Transport Partnership. Stirling Council provides councillor representatives and supports transport planning in the Stirling area.
• Tayside Bus AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary alliance including Tactran, Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council, local bus operators, and bus user groups. Working to improve bus services and infrastructure across the Tactran region through coordinated planning and project delivery.
• Integrated Mobility PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with SEStran to share learnings from MaaS (Mobility as a Service) projects. Helps partners understand requirements for MaaS projects and supports them in developing their own MaaS implementations. Website: integratedmobilitypartnership.co.uk
• Transport ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Government agency responsible for transport policy and funding. Provides funding to Tactran through various programs including MaaS Investment Fund and Active Travel Infrastructure Fund. Oversees national transport strategy implementation.
• SustransminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organization working on sustainable transport. Dr Lee Muir from Sustrans serves as an advisor to the Tactran Partnership Board. Tactran works with Sustrans on active travel projects in the region.
• NHS TaysidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner in the MaaS ENABLE Project. NHS Tayside has a journey planning platform enabling patients and staff to access healthcare facilities via sustainable transport options.
• Dundee and Angus CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner in the MaaS ENABLE Project. The college has a journey planning platform for students and staff to plan sustainable travel to campus.
• Loch Lomond and Trossachs National ParkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational park authority partner in the MaaS ENABLE Project. Partnership enables visitors and residents to plan sustainable journeys within the national park area.
• Angus Cycle Hub CICmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise operating the Bell Street Cycle Hub in Dundee, supported by Tactran's People and Place Programme. Provides bike shop, cycle service, bike reuse center recycling over 4,000 bikes per year, and secure bicycle parking.
• ScotRailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRail operator partner engaged in sustainable transport projects within the Tactran region. ScotRail participates in Tactran-led initiatives to promote public transport use.
• Living StreetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organization campaigning for walking. Partner in Tactran sustainable transport initiatives to promote walking as a form of everyday transport.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS): Statutory Regional Transport Partnership covering Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray. Directly comparable in legal basis, funding model, and transport strategy remit; another RTP peer within the Scottish Government framework for benchmarking and inter-regional collaboration.
• Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS): Statutory Regional Transport Partnership covering the Highlands and Islands. Comparable as a Scottish RTP with the same statutory mandate, although serving a significantly larger and more geographically dispersed region with greater emphasis on air and ferry modes.
• Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT): Largest of Scotland's Regional Transport Partnerships covering the Strathclyde region, with a broader operational remit (including operation of the Glasgow Subway). Comparable as a statutory RTP partner with overlapping responsibilities for regional transport strategy, bus and rail coordination, though materially larger and more operationally focused than Tactran.
• South West Scotland Transport Partnership (SWESTRANS): Statutory Regional Transport Partnership covering Dumfries and Galloway and East Ayrshire. Directly comparable peer under the same Scottish legislative framework, focused on regional transport strategy and active travel in a predominantly rural context.
• South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran): Statutory Regional Transport Partnership covering Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland, established under the same 2005 legislation as Tactran. Directly comparable in mandate, funding model, and statutory transport strategy role, and is already a co-partner with Tactran in the Integrated Mobility Partnership for MaaS.
• ZetTrans Transport Partnership: Statutory Regional Transport Partnership for the Shetland Islands. Another directly comparable RTP peer, though operating at a much smaller scale and with a stronger emphasis on inter-island ferry and air connectivity.

Regional players

• ScotRail: Primary rail operator across Scotland, including the Tactran region. Engaged with Tactran on sustainable transport projects and Local Rail Development Fund initiatives (e.g., Bridge of Earn, Stirling rail projects); comparable as a Scotland-wide transport operator that Tactran coordinates with on rail strategy and promotion.

Broad incumbents

• Transport Scotland: Scottish Government agency responsible for national transport policy and funding. Acts as Tactran's primary funder and policy sponsor, and shapes the strategic framework within which all RTPs operate; comparable as the overarching authority governing the RTP ecosystem.
• Scottish Government: The national government that established Tactran under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and provides its core funding through Transport Scotland. Comparable as the ultimate sponsor and policy-maker for regional transport partnerships in Scotland.

Emerging players

• Sustrans Scotland: UK-wide charity focused on walking, cycling and active travel infrastructure that works in partnership with Tactran on active travel projects (with a Sustrans representative sitting on the Tactran Board as advisor). Comparable as a delivery and advocacy partner for active travel, the central programme area within Tactran's People and Place portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tactran_rtp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tactran

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership