Murdo Fraser MSP has welcomed £5 million investment in road safety measures on the A9 between Perth and Inverness but has stressed complete dualling is still required.
The SNP Government has announced a series of measures following 13 people dying after accidents on the 112-mile stretch between the two cities this year. All these fatalities took place on single-stretch parts of the road.
Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said that while he welcomes the road safety measures, he feels the SNP Government need to focus on completing the £3 billion dualling of the notorious road.
The details of these road safety measures were given following a written answer to a question on the issue submitted by Fergus Ewing MSP.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “I fully welcome the range of measures announced by the SNP Government, particularly the move to better educate tourists and foreign motorists on driving on Scotland’s roads, and improve signage. This follows on a meeting which I and a number of other MSPs had with the Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth, her officials, and the police, and I am pleased that some of the improvements we suggested are being taken forward.
“However, we still need the complete dualling of the A9 between Perth to Inverness as all the fatalities that have taken place this year have been on single-stretch carriageways of the road.
“These horrendous accidents which have left families and friends grieving, highlight the importance of dualling the A9. I have been a long-term campaigner for dualling of the road and I know that local residents whose properties lie adjacent to the A9, and road safety campaigners are desperate for the road to be completely dualled.
“I know we have seen some progress in dualling but there have only been two sections completed so far, over a course of 11 miles. When the project was first announced, the SNP Government said the dualling would be complete by 2025 – that obviously isn’t going to happen now.”
Mr Fraser continued: “The Transport Minister has announced dates for these road safety measures. We now need her to announce and clarify dates of the next stages of dualling and a firm commitment that the A9 dualling project will be completed in full.”
