Pick up your stickers to back road campaign

BACKERS of The Oban Times’ campaign to improve the A85 can visibly show their support through new car stickers.

The Oban Times launched the campaign to improve the road between Oban and Connel.

The stickers can be collected from The Oban Times office, Oban Phoenix Cinema, the Bid4Oban office in Stevenson Street, the Halfway House petrol station, Tesco, Lidl, and Dunbeg Village Stores.

Over the years, people in North Argyll have lost friends and family in accidents on the A85 between Oban and Connel.

So far 176 people have signed the petition, which will be delivered to transport minister Humza Yousaf. Help strengthen the campaign by adding your name.

Speaking to The Oban Times, Dunbeg resident Allan Strang said: ‘The issue I have with the road is the lack of awareness drivers have at the Dunbeg junction.

‘On Saturday just past I had to apply my brakes approaching the junction as a service bus pulled out in front of me. The bus driver actually apologised with a wave as he knew he had made a mistake.

‘Something desperately needs changed on the road layout.’

Breege Smyth thinks the problem is down to bad driving.

She said: ‘We need a combination of two things – reduce the speed limit and get people taking more care.’

Breege has had some bad experiences on the A85, particularly between Oban and Dunbeg.

‘People overtaking on the double white lines just after the filling station,’ she said. ‘That’s bad driving and this is where reducing the speed limit and having a camera at the end of the stretch of road could help, so you can catch people speeding and improve the driving.

‘If you cut the speed limit, it should cut down the severity of accidents and number of deaths.’