Anger at road workers on phone while driving

Bypass: Transport chiefs accused of ignoring safety warnings

Transport chiefs have been accused of failing to crack down on AWPR workers using their mobile phones while driving heavy machinery.

Milltimber resident Ian Birnie has reported three drivers in the last year to Transport Scotland. He said he caught them going past his house on Contlaw Road, en route to the AWPR construction site, in diggers and other construction vehicles while on their mobiles.

He was told the staff in question would be dealt with, but has now raised concerns over safety attitudes at the site.

Mr Birnie, 53, said: “They (Transport Scotland) told me they would deal with it the first time round, but since then I have reported people driving, who were on their phones, on two separate occasions. I wasn’t reassured. I did volunteer to assist in their investigation and to identify the persons responsible, but they turned down my offer.

“These safety issues continue at the AWPR, and I am very concerned the safety messages aren’t being passed down from top to bottom.”

Mr Birnie said he reported a digger operator using his phone while driving to a supervising member of staff on the site, but was told nothing could be done.

He said: “I want to make it clear I’m not against the AWPR, but I am against observing and seeing other staff on the work team clearly using their phones, and not doing anything about it.

“I was on Contlaw Road and there was a JCB driver passing three AWPR guys standing at the side of the road.

“One of them identified himself as a supervisor, and I asked what they would do about him using his mobile phone – I could even see he was using a Samsung Galaxy, a large white one – and they said they didn’t see it, and couldn’t do anything about it.”

A spokesman for Transport Scotland responded: “For the AWPR/B-T project, the contractor has issued a set of guidelines to all its employees which strictly prohibits the use of mobile phones or hand-held radios whilst (they are) driving or operating mobile plant and vehicles on public roads, private property or the construction site, which includes the haul road.

“These incidents have been investigated and have been dealt with accordingly.”

“The contractor has issued a set of guidelines to all employees”

Photograph: Jim Irvine CUT OFF: Transport Scotland says it has dealt accordingly with AWPR staff at Milltimber using phones while driving.