A96 campaign calling for full dualling of road is launched by Scottish Conservatives
A campaign calling the dualling of the A96 a “matter of life and death” has been launched.
The Scottish Conservatives have started a campaign urging the SNP to fully dual the road between Inverness and Aberdeen.
It follows the launch of The Inverness Courier’s own petition calling on the Scottish Government to publish a timetable for dualling between the Highland capital and Nairn, and the construction of a Nairn bypass, by the end of the year.
The petition can be viewed and signed here.
The SNP pledged in 2011 to fully dual the road by 2030, but we revealed that these plans were quietly dropped four years ago.
A recent review, conducted by Transport Scotland, recommended eight different proposals - including having bypasses for Elgin and Keith - instead of full dualling.
The Tories have calculated that 128 people have been killed or injured on the A96 since 2021 - and that £700,000 has been spent on improving the road over that time.
Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross said: “The SNP government are misleading parliament and the public by claiming to still support dualling the road, when Transport Scotland is promoting alternatives to a full upgrade.
“Dualling the road can be the difference between life and death, which is why this campaign will send a strong message to the Scottish Government to reject this politically-driven review, aimed at pleasing the Greens and their anti-motorist agenda.
“Their own documents even say dualling the road will make it safer and reduce deaths, so anything other than a full upgrade, promised in 2011, will be a betrayal to the north and north east.
“Lives are tragically being lost and families are being torn apart by the dangers of this road which, in its present state, is not fit for purpose.
“This campaign isn’t just about dualling the A96 - it's about protecting our future economy and standing up to the SNP government who continue to fail our area.”
