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Campaign to cut queues on the A9

28th November 2002
Page 13
Page 13, 28th November 2002 — Campaign to cut queues on the A9
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Residents alongside the A9 from Perth to Inverness have launched a campaign to have the road upgraded to dual carriageway. A campaign meeting held in Pitlochry, Perthshire last week heard that frustration was a key problem on the road when drivers were unable to overtake slower vehicles. The meeting was told that there had been 215 fatal accidents on the road since 1979, and 490 serious injuries.

The campaign is supported by North Tayside MSP John Swinney, who is to put the case for duailing to members of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive this week. Phil Flanders, Scottish regional director for the Road Haulage Association, also supports the idea, but he fears that the Scottish Executive could not fund the project.

Flanders su nests that raising the HGV speed limit from 40 to 50mph would help alleviate the problems:"An extra lOmph would make a huge difference—and the A9 is a road which could be upgraded because it has long, open curves."

He points out that lorry drivers hate the road because of the danger of frustrated drivers overtaking long convoys of traffic when they can't see ahead clearly. • A survey undertaken by Tayside Police also found that driver tiredness and confusion are problems on the A9.

Policies drawn up in the 1970s stopped any roadside developments to help protect communities that were by-passed when the A9 opened. However. The Scotsman newspaper suggests that these policies might be relaxed after Highland councillors were told of growing concern about road safety on the road, and how an Improved range of services could complement facilities In villages and provide respite for drivers.


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