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Lorry traffic on A9 important to Highland economy
Page 23
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BECAUSE the general economy of the Highlands relies on lorries more than any other form of transport, it was important to concentrate effort on ensuring the continuancy of movement of road lorries on A9 in adverse weather conditions rather than to consider ways of prohibiting lorry movements.
This was emphasized by the Freight Transport Association in a letter to Inverness County Council regarding its approach to the Scottish Development Department suggesting that the county council be empowered to stop lorries proceeding on A9 in icy conditions, and recommending that dangerous loads be transferred to rail.
Mr Jack Welsh, regional controller of the Association in Scotland, pointed out in the letter that there was a general appreciation of the effort exerted by the county council in winter road work and that there was an understanding of difficulties to snow clearing caused by abandoned vehicles. No one would therefore want to condone reckless attempts by any driver to beat the severe conditions that could occur. However, for the responsible operator it was a question of alternatives, and while alternative road routes hardly existed. the possibility of short-notice transfer to rail was very limited.
On the question of dangerous loads. Mr Welsh advocated a policy of maximum dispersal. Transfer of such traffic to rail would simply mean that rural roads, where risks were minimal, would benefit, but that the town of Inverness would suffer from an increased number of such road movements, simply because, in the absence of railheads in every town, the final stages of transportation would have to be undertaken by road.