New roads a ‘double whammy of waste’

Sir, – I note with interest that the Scottish Greens are focusing on the environment when naming the price of their support to the SNP, regarding the imminent Scottish Government budget.

We all need to heed the science around the need to reduce our CO2 emissions, and we should all be aware that in Scotland CO2 emissions from transport are increasing, and are the largest contributor to greenhouse gases.

The planned major road building program in Scotland has a combined cost of around £6.5 billion – dualling the A9 and A96 at £3 billion each, plus the Cross Tay Link Road and two roundabouts at Longmans and Sheriffhall.

This £6.5 billion is a lot of money, but unfortunately, that’s not the final cost.

Scientific reports on weather conditions in 2050 – hot temperatures, droughts, flash floods, stronger winds as well as rising sea levels – tell us that Scotland will have to spend much, much more than that in the near future.

This additional future spend is to protect our current infrastructure, to mitigate against the rising CO2 emissions, in part created by the extra traffic on these new roads.

Those infrastructure preparations need to start now; they cannot wait until 2050 when it will be too late.

To delay these provisions just does not make any environmental or economic sense.

Why should we pay twice over – once to cause the environmental damage and then again to repair the damage we have just caused to the planet?

The current government proposal to build yet more roads to cure congestion is the exact equivalent of the NHS recommending buying the next clothing size up as a cure for obesity.

We have set ambitious CO2 reduction targets, we have declared a climate emergency, so please let us have a transport plan that delivers these critical targets.

I truly hope all political parties, not just the Greens, treat this issue with the urgency it deserves.

This double whammy of waste needs to be avoided right now.

Iain MacDonald. 56 Grove Road, Broughty Ferry.