Scotland’s Transport Minister is still waiting to hear from her Westminster counterparts about possible funding for the A75.
The need for improvements to the Euroroute was debated at the Scottish Parliament last Wednesday night.
Reports from both the Scottish and UK Governments have acknowledged the need to upgrade the road.
But when Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson asked Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth why she wasn’t welcoming the offer of investment from Westminster, she replied: “I don’t know how much money the UK Government are offering. They haven’t written to me and I’m Scotland’s Transport Minister.
“At the very least it’s discourteous.”
The Scottish Government’s second strategic transport review (STPR2) recommended upgrading the A77 and A75, including a bypass for Crocketford and Springholm. The UK Government’s union connectivity review also highlighted the need to upgrade the road, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announcing funding for a feasibility study – potentially as much as £5 million – in his autumn statement.
Tory MSP Mr Carson, who had secured the members’ debate, told the chamber: “There are far too many people for which the term A75 brings back memories of tragedies of families and friends killed on what was once termed Scotland’s killer road.”
He claimed there had been a lack of investment in the road, leading the region to become “regarded as ignored or the forgotten part of Scotland”, and described STPR2 as “really not worth waiting for”.
He was pleased to hear that, despite an apparent reluctance from officials to get involved in the union connectivity review as transport is a devolved matter, Transport Scotland officials were now engaging with the UK Government with meetings planned this week.
South Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper agreed with much of what Mr Carson had said and explained she had written to the UK Government asking for funding for the A75 as a “phenomenal amount of money” is needed and Scotland can’t borrow under current fiscal terms.
She had lodged an amendment to Mr Carson’s motion as she felt it did not acknowledge the commitments the Scottish Government had made in STPR2.
Dumfriesshire Tory MSP Oliver Mundell and South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth echoed Mr Carson’s sentiments.
Mr Smyth stated: “My constituents don’t care if the funding comes from the Scottish Government or UK connectivity review. They want to see improvements to these key roads and they want to see it now.”
Ms Gilruth said the UK Government had made an announcement in March 2021 about a “union connectivity development fund”, which applied to the A75, but it wasn’t until October 2022 that clearer details were provided of what the Scottish Government needed to do.
She claimed the Scottish Government had invested £133 million in the A75 since 2007, with a further £6.8 million set to be spent on road maintenance this year.
Part of Mr Carson’s motion had been for average speed cameras in Springholm and Crocketford.
Ms Gilruth said there was a mobile safety camera site at Crocketford and further camera deployment could be looked at as part of a process looking at all sites across Scotland.
“I would urge the UK Government to make a firm commitment to funding further investment in the A75 while recognising that responsibility for this, as well as all parts of the trunk road network, is that of Scottish ministers.”
