Highland motorists see red over lights in Nairn
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FREQUENT gridlock in Nairn is killing off trade for local shops, a business leader has warned.
Nairn Business Improvement District (BID) manager Michael Boylan said the congestion was “putting people off” and traders are losing out.
He said: “We have seen strong evidence of this on social media and through word of mouth. We will be writing to Transport Scotland to ask what their plans are to engage with our community and look at options.”
Hacked-off Nairn resident Tony Lister, one of the instigators behind a Remove Nairn Traffic Lights Now group on Facebook, claimed a set of traffic lights at the town’s Lochloy Road junction was to blame for the congestion.
He said: “Every time these lights go out the traffic flows better. There shouldn’t be traffic lights there anyway. It causes too many jams. A roundabout would be our preferred solution.”
Mr Lister said the number of “much-needed new homes” being built in the Lochloy area, called for a roundabout rather than traffic lights.
He added: “You should be able to drive through Nairn in 10 minutes but some days it takes an hour. There are a lot of frustrated people. Someone needs to fix this fast.”
Nairn councillor Liz MacDonald, who sold off some of her land at Lochloy to make way for more than 100 new houses, believes the problem is down to the volume of traffic.
“I’m not just saying that because I’ve given land for houses but the Lochloy junction is not to blame,” she said. “The problem is there’s too much through traffic. The sooner a bypass can get moving, the better.”
Fellow councillor Tom Heggie said: “Congestion was so bad at the weekend the police were directing traffic at the Lochloy Road junction. The realistic solution is a bypass.”
A BEAR Scotland spokesman said: “We were notified of a fault with the traffic signals in Nairn at the weekend and specialist engineers attended to assess and carry out a repair. A further issue was reported on Monday and our team repaired it. We are investigating the cause and will take steps to implement any improvements if required.”
Transport Scotland, who ruled out the viability of a roundabout at the Lochloy Road junction, said: “We are in dialogue with BEAR Scotland on the future maintenance regime at Lochloy Road and other traffic signals in Nairn.”
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP and road safety campaigner David Stewart, who campaigned for fewer traffic lights in Nairn ahead of last year’s Transport Scotland decision to remove a set at Albert Street, said he would write to the agency seeking another traffic study and “would be happy to meet residents to look at the problem and hear their views”.
A public inquiry into the A96 bypass at Nairn has concluded. A spokeswoman for the planning and environmental appeals division of the Scottish Government said reporters would give their recommendations to Scottish ministers this summer.
