Rest saga: are we being treated as second class?
South Kintyre councillor Donald Kelly has welcomed the decision by MSPs to write to Scotland’s transport minister to ask for clarity over the timescale for a permanent solution at the landslip-prone A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful.
But he says he is growing increasingly frustrated by a “lack of decisive action” and he believes people living in rural communities are being treated like “second class citizens”.
Councillor Kelly and fellow Argyll First councillor Dougie Philand, of the Mid Argyll ward, are behind a petition calling for a public inquiry into the political and financial management of the project to provide a permanent solution at the Rest and Be Thankful.
They are concerned about a waste of public money, with an estimated £100 million spent on landslip mitigation measures so far. The document was last discussed by the Scottish Parliament’s citizen participation and public petitions committee in November, when members agreed to keep the petition open until a permanent solution was determined, with a decision expected in spring of this year.
At a meeting last Wednesday (May 17), committee convener Jackson Carlaw MSP quipped that unless the definition of spring had changed, Transport Scotland was within days of failing to meets its target for announcing a preferred route option.
The committee agreed to write to transport minister Kevin Stewart to seek an update on when the Scottish Government expects to reveal its preferred route option.
Speaking to the Courier after Wednesday’s meeting, Councillor Kelly said it was “good that the committee agreed with the points we have raised and kept the petition alive” but added: “We are fed up with false promises, false dawns and the Scottish Government’s inability to finally commit to the start date for the permanent solution to be implemented.
“In my opinion, we are being treated like second class citizens and being discriminated against because we are living in a rural community which is totally unacceptable.”
The committee awaits the transport minister’s response, on which Councillors Kelly and Philand will have an opportunity to comment before their petition is scheduled for further consideration.