Kate Forbes MSP: Dualling the A9 is of national importance
The constituency MSP for Badenoch has told a Holyrood committee that the A9 is a matter of national importance and not just a Highland problem.
Giving evidence at the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee earlier today, Kate Forbes MSP said the A9 Dualling Programme had to be prioritised with significant capital funding from the Scottish Government on safety and economic grounds.
She also praised the efforts of the A9 Dual Action campaign group, and especially spokeswoman Laura Hansler who addressed committee members earlier in the session at the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Forbes said: “As the longest road in Scotland, the A9 is our nation’s backbone. The condition of the road isn’t just a rural, Highland problem; it is of national importance.
“Last year, 13 people died on the A9 between Perth and Inverness. Last month, an 18-year-old lost his life. The number of fatalities should be a cause for national grief. Many were local residents, people who have driven the road for years.
“The A9 is many Highlanders’ commute to work, our route to the shops and our means of meeting friends. It remains a national gateway for people, goods and services. It connects north and south, bringing mutual benefit as Highland goods like food and drink are transported south.”
The Badenoch MSP added: “There have been blunt suggestions from certain quarters that continued investment in roads is contrary to our climate change ambitions. Transport is a significant contributor to our national emissions but net zero policies should not penalise the Highlands. It’s blatantly obvious that rural Scotland relies more heavily on car use, but rural Scotland should not disproportionately bear the brunt of Scotland’s transition to net zero.
“Cracking down on cars and stopping all road projects, without substantial investment in public transport, will hinder efforts to bolster the population and invest in rural Scotland. You might be able to cycle to your local shop in the centre of Glasgow, but I’d like to see you try in rural Scotland. There might be hourly buses – at worst – in the middle of Edinburgh. In some Highland communities, you’re lucky if you see one a day.
“In that vein, any suggestion that dualling the A9 is incompatible with our climate change targets spectacularly fails to recognise the nature of the Highlands and islands.
“The Scottish Government has a target to phase out new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the coming decade. It wants to see more of us going electric. If we are to achieve that, then those electric vehicles will need safe roads and infrastructure – that includes a safer (and more electrified) A9.
“We need to see a new timetable to dual the remaining sections – and we need better processes to ensure it happens.”
It is understood that the committee will decide on its next steps for the A9 Dual Action Group’s petition at a future meeting.
