Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green MSP for Perthshire, has encouraged the Scottish Government to prioritise urgent safety improvement measures at key junctions along the A9.
Mr Ruskell’s intervention comes as the Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth provided an update to the Scottish Parliament on the A9 road improvement project, announcing that the initial target for dualling of the road will be delayed later than 2025.
The plan suffered setbacks after the only bid for the contract to carry out the Tomatin to Moy section fell through.
And ongoing work has been hit by delays, with Brexit and the war in Ukraine cited as hampering progress.
In recognition of the road safety concerns following fatal accidents that occurred on the route in the second half of 2022, Ms Gilruth said: “I announced an investment of approximately £5 million in additional road safety measures for the A9 back in December.
“I am pleased to confirm that these have now commenced and are progressing well, as confirmed by BEAR Scotland at the A9 Safety Group last week in Inverness.”
Mr Ruskell has been in ongoing correspondence with the Minister and Transport Scotland around road safety measures short of dualling that can be rolled out quickly and effectively to improve passenger safety, including lowering the speed limit on single carriageway sections like those between Birnam and Dunkeld.
Responding to his question in Parliament, the Minister confirmed that any amendments to speed limits will be considered as part of the National Speed Management Review.
Speaking after the statement, Mr 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.”
He added: “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 further detail on the short-term road safety measures in train at the Birnam, Dunkeld and Dalguise area. I’ve today written to Transport Scotland for further clarity on these commitments.
“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.
“I commend the excellent work of the Birnam and Dunkeld Junctions Action Group who have been pivotal in championing these important road safety measures, and I hope that we will see delivery on that stretch of the road in the coming months.”
Following the A9 road improvement project delay announcement, Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group and Birnam and Dunkeld Junctions Action Group provided a joint statement to The PA.
It read: “No-one in the Dunkeld and Birnam area will be surprised by this announcement, but it makes even more urgent the meeting with Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson to discuss the dualling programme, which we requested recently, given the already intolerable delay in deciding on a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
“Our community now believes that the A9 will not be dualled past Dunkeld and Birnam in the foreseeable future. The priority for our community is to be able to join and cross the busy A9 without putting ourselves and other travellers at risk.
“This requires safe and effective junctions to be built and we no longer accept that the creation of these junctions should be linked to the dualling project.
“The recent safety improvement measures announced by the Transport Secretary are welcome but much more is needed to make this A9 section as safe as possible as soon as possible."
