A9 priority must be safety
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Zeroing in on road safety must be the absolute priority of efforts to cut accidents on the A9 with communities at their heart, say the Scottish Greens.
Scottish Greens transport spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP, made the comments following a Ministerial statement on A9 dualling.
Mark Ruskell said:
“When I speak to local communities along the A9, the message is clear. They want us to improve dangerous junctions and reduce speeds. That means directing investment where it is most needed and where it can make a real tangible difference.”
“The Bute House Agreement that the Scottish Greens negotiated with the Scottish Government, commits us to addressing and tackling safety concerns and responding to community needs, whilst respecting our climate ambitions across Scotland’s road network.
“I welcome the Minister’s emphasis on road safety. It needs to be taken seriously and prioritised ahead of dualling every last inch of the road, which will come at an astronomical cost and be likely to increase traffic and pollution.
“I also welcome the Transport Scotland analysis about why recent accident rates have increased and how they could have been prevented.
“We must invest in genuine road safety improvements to protect lives across Scotland, but that needs funding and a real focus on what can actually work.”