Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser says there will be “more funerals” if the £3 billion A9 dualling scheme between Perth to Inverness does not progress.
The politician made his views known during a recent Members’ Business debate on the A9, which had been brought to the Scottish Parliament by his colleague Jamie Halcro-Johnston MSP.
Mr Fraser told Members in the Chamber at Holyrood of his concerns at the high death rate on the notorious road last year – a total of 13 between Perth and Inverness – and highlighted how 12 of these fatal accidents took place on single-carriageway stretches of the road.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “I have no doubt that we would have seen a substantial lowering of the tragic death toll of last year if we had seen dual carriageways on the road. During the debate, Donald Cameron MSP referred to the funeral he had attended of a friend who died on the A9. There have been too many such funerals, and there will continue to be many more such funerals until this project is delivered.
“I hope that whoever becomes First Minister next week will deliver on their pledges and we will see action to complete this vital road project.”
Mr Fraser continued: “I very much welcome the work the Transport Minister has been leading recently regarding rolling out short-term safety measures on the A9 between Perth and Inverness, and also her engagement with MSPs who represent areas impacted by the project. However, it is important to stress that these measures should not be seen as a substitute for progressing the dualling project.
“I have heard Scottish Green MSPs say the alternative to dualling is to introduce more speed limits, but to me that is entirely the wrong approach. The A9 project is about road safety but it’s also about better connectivity, and it is essential, as part of that better connectivity, that we look at safely reducing journey times. The project is about increasing connectivity and boosting the economy across Perthshire and the Highlands so we need to provide a safe, secure and fast road journey infrastructure, which is something the Green party oppose, as they do not support economic growth of any kind.
“The Greens have also said you could reduce accidents by lowering the speed limit to 50mph. However, we know the classic serious accident or fatality is caused by a head-on crash between two vehicles travelling at 50mph on a single carriageway. This is equivalent to driving into a wall at 100mph, and the chances are you would never survive such a crash.
“So, short-term safety measures are not a substitute for dualling – after all, that was what was promised by the SNP Government.”
