‘Pandering to Greens’ delays vital upgrade to killer roads
VITAL life-saving upgrades to accident hotspots on Scotland’s roads are being delayed because there are Green ministers in government, it is claimed.
A dozen people have died on the A9 between Perth and Inverness since July – the highest toll for more than a decade – with 13 fatalities in three years on the A96 linking the Highland capital with Aberdeen.
Long-standing promises to dual the roads have yet to be met. Ahead of a Holyrood debate on the delays tomorrow, the Tories have accused the SNP of ‘pandering’ to the Greens.
Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘We can’t simply accept this shocking death toll, especially when there’s something we can do to tackle it.
‘Both these trunk roads would become safer overnight if they were fully dualled.
‘SNP ministers must stop pandering to their anti-car coalition partners – the Scottish Greens – and get on with delivering these crucial, lifesaving upgrades now.
‘Progress on delivering what is a long-standing SNP commitment has been painfully – indeed fatally – slow. That’s unacceptable.’
Mr Simpson added: ‘Ministers must stop dithering and spell out an accelerated timetable for completion.
‘While we all want to see a reduction in unnecessary car use, what the Scottish Greens fail to understand is that for many people in remote parts of Scotland the car is not a luxury but a necessity due to limited public transport options.’
Ministers first vowed to dual the A96 11 years ago but the programme was paused as part of the Co-operation Agreement signed last year between the SNP and Greens. The review of the programme has so far lasted six months, cost the taxpayer £1.8million and has yet to be completed.
In 2009, SNP ministers pledged to dual 11 sections of the A9 by 2025 and committed £3billion to the task in 2014.
However, only two stretches have so far been completed and, in August, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth failed to provide a timetable for its completion, insisting it is a ‘complex exercise’.
Nationalist MSP Fergus Ewing, who has himself lost two friends to accidents on the A9, has demanded that a timetable be published as soon as possible.
He wrote recently: ‘Surely we must now demonstrate to all our good faith by setting out a plan showing when each section is intended to be started and finished. It is a project of national significance and also essential to prevent further loss of life. All parties except the Greens support it.’
A spokesman for Miss Gilruth said last night: ‘Roads cannot be dualled overnight and the Scottish Government... continues to prioritise safety across Scotland’s road network. There is undoubtedly a place and a need for a respectful debate on this issue. Sadly, it does not look like we will get that approach from the Scottish Tories.
‘Mr Simpson’s remarks would carry more sincerity if they weren’t accompanied by needless political point scoring.’
‘Must stop dithering’