Public petition calling for dualling of A9 ASAP to be heard at Holyrood
The first evidence prompted by a well-backed petition by a Kincraig road safety campaigner calling for the dualling of the A9 will be heard later this week.
Member of Holyrood's cross party Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will be meeting on Wednesday with Laura Hansler due to make calls for the long-overdue improvements.
Her petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to deliver on the commitment it made in 2011, and address safety
concerns on the A9 by:
• publishing a revised timetable and detailed plan for dualling each section;
• completing the dualling work by 2025; and
• creating a memorial to those who have lost their lives in road traffic incidents on the A9.
Ms Hansler states in her petition lodged at end of last year: "The A9 has now become a road barely fit for purpose with an unsustainable influx of traffic on the infrastructure.
"In 2011, the Scottish Government pledged as a 'priority' an ambitious dualling scheme to be completed by 2025, between Perth to Inverness in
its entirety.
"Since then, 59 people have lost their lives on the Perth to Inverness section of the A9 based on figures provided by Transport Scotland."
Committee members last considered this petition on February 22 and agreed then to invite Ms Hansler and the Minister for Transport to give evidence at a future meeting.
They also agreed to write to organisations including the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, the Road Haulage Association, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Inverness Chamber of Commerce, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, and local community councils for their views.
The committee has received new responses from Nethy Bridge Community Council, the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), and Rhoda Grant MSP.
Sandy McCook, chairman of the Nethy Bridge watchdog, points out that he is responding on behalf of all community councils and community associations in Badenoch and Strathspey.
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He said community leaders are becoming 'more and more aware of the growing anger and frustration within their communities at the lack of progress and to be quite honest the hollow words and promises made which are now being reneged upon'.
Mr McCook said that a trail 50mph speed limit for HGVs had not resolved the issues of the road which he said is used by an average of 8000 vehicles daily in the strath.
On lorry hold-ups, he states: "We doubt if the Central Belt would accept their main road linking Glasgow with Edinburgh being restricted to 50mph.
"Over the years we have seen an ever increasing, but varying, number of fatal and serious accidents.
"In the 13 year period between 2009 and October 2022 there have been 117 fatalities from a total of 805 serious (as classified by Police Scotland) accidents giving an average of nine deaths per year and 62 serious accidents.
"Last year alone in Badenoch and Strathspey there were nine fatalities, tragically including two incidents where three people lost their lives in each.
"These included locals, tourists and lorry drivers. This is simply unacceptable.
"These are our families, our friends, our visitors and our service providers. While we fully accept that dualling the road would not stop all accidents it would certainly reduce the number of head on incidents."
Mr McCook added: "We must remember also that for many parts of the road, Slochd and Drumochter in particular, there are no viable alternatives other than travelling via Aberdeen which involves an additional 80 miles of driving."
He concludes: "The constant ‘kicking down the road’ of the proposals is fuelling increased anger and resentment in the Highlands that we are being ignored and are simply a backwater.
"Again would the Central Belt accept this? As a group we think not."
Highlands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has also put in a written submission as the A9 hearing clashes with another committee meeting.
She states: "Many people say there are no dangerous roads, only dangerous drivers, but roads play a huge part in mitigating driver error and keeping people safe.
"I drive this road regularly and have seen very strange driver behaviour but most of it would have been mitigated had it been a dual carriageway."
She adds: "I would suggest the committee asks the First Minister how he will make good his promise to the people of the Highlands and provide a timescale for doing that.
"We also need an inquiry to see what has gone wrong, to examine what progress has been made and to bring forward realistic time frames within
which this promise can be delivered."
Read more on the petition and new submissions at https://www.parliament.scot/~/media/committ/6078
