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Politicians and campaigners ‘Disgusted’ at MSPs’ rejection


By Louise Glen

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Roads campaigners said they were shocked that the public petitions committee did not see fit to raise more questions about safety on the A82.

After the Scottish Parliament’s public petitions committee closed down an appeal for safety measures on the road, made by the Inverness Courier, MSPs and those who have campaigned for safety on the road shared their despair at the decision.

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: “Whilst I recognise the time constraints due to the amount of business being considered and also acknowledge the door has been left open for the petition to be resubmitted in the future, I was slightly surprised that the cross-party public petitions committee gave so little discussion to the Inverness Courier petition.

“At 167 miles long, and more than 50 fatalities from 2010-19, I would’ve assumed there would have been plenty to discuss about how to make the A82 safer and more resilient.

“I will continue to do everything I can to see targeted improvements.”

Regional Labour MSP David Stewart MSP, who appealed to the committee for support said: “I congratulated the Inverness Courier for its initiative on this issue. This is what good campaigning local newspapers are all about.

“The government’s promises to make this road safer are long-awaited and pressure and scrutiny is crucial.

“Today’s decision was purely procedural and I would hope the Inverness Courier would submit a fresh petition to the new committee after the election so this can continue to be looked at.”

Samantha Foster, who lost her 18-year-old brother Samuel on the road in February 2019 after his car hit a deer on the road, said: “I am absolutely disgusted that the committee did not want to discuss it further. Clearly they have never been affected by the loss of a loved one on a dangerous road that could have been made safer.”

She added: “Landowners should be forced to put up deer fencing.”

Samantha Cousin, who lost her son Rhys alongside his wife Gemma and their two children Peyton and Heidi, aged only three and one, in February 2020, said: “It’s clear to me that the government simply does not care about the road and the damage it is doing to our lives. Anyone who has been heartbroken by this road that is not fit for purpose must make their feelings known.”

Read more about the campaign here.


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