'Goat track' Euroroute
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1E A75 Gretna-Stranraer troroute has been described a goat track by Ian Brown, eretary of the Road Users oup Transport Action otland.
Speaking in Dumfries he Id the road more suited to e idyllic meanderings of irses and carts than to the sential movement of modern mmercial vehicles that use e road daily to transport illions of tons of valuable lods between Ireland and (rope via the ferry terminals Stranraer and Cairnryan.
The Irish Ferry Route he most neglected road in e south of Scotland" — ould be upgraded as an gent priority in order to fleet its importance as an dustrial conveyor belt aying a vital role in the tion's economy, he added. Mr Brown was addressing a int Transport Action :otland/British Road !deration conference in =fries called to discuss the adequacies and problems of e A75.
Delegates included )resentatives from district uncils, industrial ganisations in Northern qand, motoring, freight ulage and public transport ganisations as well as irist, forestry, local amenity d community associations. so present was George ompson, MP for Galloway.
VIr Brown said the increase heavy traffic on the road tame worse with the closure alternative sea crossings to !land from Heysham and drossan which resulted in a ;nificant increase in the mber of ferries using the prt route between Stranraer d Larne.
"The problem of congestion towns and villages along the ute worsened with an panding tourist industry bringing in its wake a steady procession of cars often towing caravans, boats and trailers, all heading for an attractive holiday area, and making an important contribution to the region's economy," he continued.
"Even the most junior planner should have seen that the completion of the M6 to Carlisle was bound to open up the Dumfries and Galloway Region to tourism with a consequent increase in traffic," he asserted.
"At the same time, major investment in approach roads to Larne should have been matched at Stranraer because the ferries between the two ports effectively provide a bridge for traffic between Northern Ireland and Southern Scotland. The only reason for lack of action on the Stranraer side is complacency and apathy on the part of government planners." Transport Action Scotland will apply "full and unrelenting pressure" on the Scottish Development Department to accelerate a programme of by-passes along, the A75.