A82 road safety on agenda for MSPs
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A Scottish Government committee is due to discuss safety on the A82, after a campaign championed by the Inverness Courier.
A petition calling for improvements – which attracted support from across the Highlands – will be discussed by the Public Petitions Committee today.
In the past 10 years, 50 people have died on the trunk road and between 2015 and 2019 alone 27 people lost their lives on the route – four more than between 2010 and 2014.
Members of the petitions committee include Gail Ross, SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, who is deputy convener.
It is chaired by Labour member Johann Lamont.
In correspondence to the Inverness Courier, the committee states: “The convener has agreed that, initially, the committee will consider your petition without taking oral evidence from you, although it may be the case that they agree to do so at a later date. “
“Following the meeting we will write to you to notify you of the outcome of the committee’s consideration and your petition web page will be updated.”
The meeting will be broadcast online at Parliament TV.
Many road users who have signed the petition have also added their comments and views.
Kate Gorham said: “The A82 is an essential road and as such should be given that recognition and made safe for travel.
“The accident statistics are high on this road.
“How many deaths before it is upgraded?”
She added: “Our link to the rest of the UK is via this road. Our supplies come by this road.
“There is a high volume of HGVs use this road both for serving our community with supplies and for taking produce from us to market, including overseas markets.
“Something which you as politicians are keen to promote, it seems, is tourism. Do you think it is fit for the increased volume of traffic tourism brings? I do not.
“Make the right decision. Upgrade the A82, to a standard to be proud of.”
Another petitioner, Archie Adams, said: “Having been involved in road safety for over 30 years in the south of England, the roads are not fit for purpose.”
Calling on the government to act, he added: “It has an appalling rate of collisions, injuries and fatalities.”
Margaret Laidlaw said: “The A82 is not fit for purpose.
“We seem to have money to spend in and around all our Scottish cities while the A82 is forgotten.”
Read more about the A82:Make it Safe campaign.
