Highland councillors back calls for public enquiry into A9 dualling delays

A joint motion calling for a immediate publication of a new dualling timetable for the A9 and a public enquiry into the long delays has been agreed by Highland councillors.

The amended joint motion proposed by Badenoch and Strathspey member Bill Lobban and seconded by Inverness south councillor Colin Aitken was backed at the latest full meeting of the authority at city headquarters.

It states: "The horrendous spate of accidents and resultant fatalities on the single carriageway sections of the A9 has brought misery to families from across the country and beyond our council area.

"Additionally, the failure to upgrade this vital transport link has a huge, negative, economic impact to the economy of the whole Highlands.

"As a result this Council deplores the decision of the Scottish Government to delay the dualling of the A9 between Inverness and Perth and asks that the Transport Minister immediately publishes a revised timetable for the completion of the works.

"Council agrees with SNP MSP Fergus Ewing that the Scottish Government's failure to dual the A9 by 2025 amounts to 'a betrayal of the Highlands', and supports his call for a parliamentary enquiry into the handling of the A9 improvement programme.

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