At Random Council has no place in commercial competition

Still waiting to hear from roads minister

WE REPORT elsewhere in this week’s edition that the A85 is now considered one of the safer roads in Scotland, having previously been classed as one of the most dangerous.

As regular readers of The Oban Times will know, we have campaigned hard for more than a year to improve safety on the A85, especially on the stretch between Oban and Connel.

One of the principal points of the campaign was our petition demanding action to halt the appalling number of serious and fatal accidents on the route.

The petition attracted almost 300 signatures and was presented to Scottish Government Transport Minister Humza Yousaf by me in October last year.

At the time Mr Yousaf said: ‘We have a number of reports being prepared at the moment and I will look into them when they are ready, but there are no overnight solutions.

‘I was looking at the possibility of double white lines and that is not an unreasonable request which I will give serious consideration to.

‘And we are having speed reduction surveys done which are taking place right now and they will report back to me before the end of the financial year next year.

‘But even before that, I should be able to get draft initial assessments of what the impact might be. When you reduce speed limits there is absolutely a potential safety positive.’

Despite his pledge to get back to me, I have heard nothing further from Mr Yousaf. I emailed him in December and was rewarded with a bland statement from one of his staff to the effect that road safety is of ‘paramount importance’ and that he was still examining the issue.

I emailed Mr Yousaf again last week Thursday) and will keep the pressure on.

I, for one, still think the campaign’s three goals - double white lines between Oban and Connel, a reduction in the speed limit to 50mph on that stretch and the creation of a lay-by for buses to stop at Pennyfuir cemetery - are easily achievable and will make a major difference to road safety on the A85.

If and when Mr Yousaf responds to my latest email, I’ll let you know. (on WHEN are a local authority’s activities unacceptable?

We published a story last week about Argyll and Bute Council broadening its commercial printing business, which has angered a number of companies already operating in that sector.

I have to make it clear the parent company of The Oban Times is one of them. Wyvex Media also owns Krisp Print, a commercial printing company based in Campbeltown.

But there are also a number of other printing firms across Argyll and Bute which feel let down by the council and fear it will undercut their tariffs to take away business.

Which takes me back to the original question: when are a local authority’s activities unacceptable?

Should a council be engaged in commercial activity at all? After all, companies that are undercut by the local authority risk losing business with the consequent laying off of staff or, at worst, firms going to the wall.

That would then have a knock-on effect on the council of losing a contributor of business rates - never mind people losing their livelihoods and being put out of work.

I’m not scaremongering or suggesting for a second that Wyvex Media is in that position, but some of the smaller enterprises may well be. I think Argyll and Bute Council should avoid altogether being in competition with its own council tax and business ratepayers.

What do you think?

WRITE to me at mlaing@obantimes.co.uk or The Oban Times, Crannog Lane, Oban, PA34 4 HB.