Scottish Government branded ‘disgraceful’ over lack of A96 dualling progress as First Minister John Swinney unveiled the Programme for Government which Fergus Ewing says shows it has been ‘parked’
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing has slammed the Scottish Government’s “disgraceful” take on dualling the A96 in its newly unveiled Programme for Government.
The programme outlines First Minister John Swinney’s priorities for the next 12 months, which he brought forward from the autumn due to next year’s Holyrood elections.
The biggest update was on the A9 with draft orders on the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing due in the spring. Then in the summer the award for the fourth contract for Tay Crossing-Ballinluig and start procurement of the fifth – Pitlochry to Killiecrankie.
But crucially a decision will come forward on whether the government will pay for the or use of private funding of the Mutual Investment Model contracts on the dualling programme.
Back in 2018 this is where the wheels fell off the wagon before when it was confirmed that “possible private financing options for the A9 programme” would make the “2025 target date unachievable”.
But there is only one mention of dualling the A96: “Progressing work to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass)”.
That means Transport Scotland will be looking at how it might fund the work and only that section of it and there is, according to Mr Ewing, unlikely to be any update before a statement at the end of the year or into next year.
This could have a political impact on the SNP as Mr Ewing has already said he would not stand for the SNP and if “significant progress” is not made on the dualling of both the A9 and A96 within the next 12 months, he may run as an independent.
The veteran MSP has been relentless in his campaigning for dualling to improve road safety, he said: “The Scottish Government failed to say anything new about the A9 or Nairn by pass in the Programme for government
“This suggests to me they have ‘parked; this issue until the election. Subject only to making a statement sometime at the tail end of the year or the start of next. They still haven’t worked out how to finance all the works.
“Recently after my intervention the Petitions Committee have written to Fiona Hyslop seeking answers to several questions posed.
“When will it start and finish; why not use the massive capital budget of 6 billion a year - so both roads will only use up a small proportion of the total over the next ten years.
“Repeated refusal by Scottish Government ministers - four in four years - is disgraceful.
“Yet not one word of contrition or humility has been offered. I will continue to press this in Holyrood.”
