BEAR slammed
BEAR Scotland has been told that its response to the problem of potholes and deteriorating road surfaces is simply not good enough.
THE CHAIRMAN of a Lochaber community council now believes the only solution to the problem of the neverending saga of the potholes plaguing local trunk roads is for another roads contractor to take over maintenance operations.
John Fotheringham, chairman of Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council, has now informed trunk roads operator BEAR Scotland that its response to the problem of potholes and deteriorating road surfaces is simply not good enough.
His furious letter to BEAR Scotland comes just weeks after two senior managers from BEAR Scotland and Transport Scotland met with community councillors to hear a long list of woes about the A82 and A86 roads.
And now BEAR Scotland has been told the community council has had enough of what Mr Fotheringham said was the organisation’s ‘constant procrastination’ over the state of local roads.
In his letter he stated: ‘Despite telling you months ago about the break up of the road surface at the junction of the A82 and A86, nothing has happened, not even sweeping up the residue, and every vehicle crossing the swathes of stones thrown up from the surface impacts on the B&B and restaurant business adjacent.
‘We are told that remedial action will take place on the A86, but no one explains what that is and nothing about the A82 section which is beginning to disintegrate.
‘We have been through this with your company before at Aonachan Crossroads – also scheduled for remedial work within four years of the last extensive resurfacing.
‘Then there is the promise of a camera examination of the drainage culvert on the A82 which has led to the flooding of the woollen mill, but so far nothing.
‘It surely isn’t difficult to organise such an examination to alleviate the concerns of two businesses that are either drenched almost daily by spray, or flooded like the woollen mill was on Christmas Eve.
‘When you conducted the ill-fated resurfacing of the road in Spean Bridge four years ago you took the decision in consort with Transport Scotland to restrict the resurfacing to the south of the village.
‘We were informed by Highland councillors that the south of the village would at last get the much-needed resurfacing this spring but it too appears to have slipped further.
‘So I am afraid your company leaves us no option; our patience is exhausted, so we intend to ask Donald Cameron MSP to request a meeting with the Transport Minister and the chief executive of Transport Scotland.
‘Maybe when we have put our case to them you may finally get your act together, but with daily incidents where residents have their cars damaged by the ever-increasing number of potholes we believe the only solution is to find another roads contractor.’
Describing the recent meeting with community councillors as ‘productive’, a BEAR Scotland spokersperson added: ‘We’re doing all we can to complete a £4 million programme of urgent surfacing repairs across the network as quickly and safely as possible, with works planned on the A82 and A86 near Spean Bridge, as well as on the A86 west of Roy Bridge and at Cille Choire in the coming weeks. Our teams are also carrying out temporary repairs as required where possible.’