By Alan Richardson

NORTH TAYSIDE residents have been urged to attend Wednesday’s parliamentary debate on the need for urgent action to improve the A9.

The debate has been secured by North Tayside MSP John Swinney and will take place during members’ business at 5 pm in the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Swinney is eager for as many of his constituents as possible to attend and hear exactly what action is being taken with regard to the road, named recently as Scotland’s deadliest road.

Mr Swinney said, “I am keen to ensure all individuals concerned with safety on the A9 are given the opportunity to hear the debate which is to take place this Wednesday.

“I have written to community councils, church groups, as well as businesses and councillors, inviting them along. I also want members of the public to be aware that they can have the opportunity to attend the debate.

“Anyone wishing to attend should contact my Parliamentary office in Edinburgh on 0131 3485717. My PA will then make the necessary arrangements with the security staff.

“If constituents are not able to make the debate, they can watch and listen to it on the Scottish Parliament website at http://www.holyrood.tv/

“Full instructions on how to listen are available.”

Mr Swinney acted in the wake of the latest accident on the road north of Perth, when a lorry and minibus collided, injuring over 20 people.

He called the lack of progress since he last led a debate in 2002 on upgrading junctions at Ballinluig and Bankfoot “indefensible.”

Another local MSP, Murdo Fraser, will also use Wednesday’s debate to renew calls for full dualling of the road.

The A9 has had the highest fatality rate of all roads in Scotland from 2000 to 2004, the figures also including the stretches from Stirling to Perth and north of Inverness.

In total, there have been 82 fatalities from 2000 to 2004, the latest five years available, an average of 16 deaths per year.

It has also consistently been in the top five for non-fatal road accidents.

Mr Fraser, who was in an A9 accident in 1990, said, “I have continuously told the Scottish Executive that it must dual the A9 in its entirety from Perth to Inverness or we will see more deaths and accidents on this road.

“The Executive has been warned and the statistics sadly back up what I have been saying.

“Going on statistics, the fear must be that if the Executive does nothing then another 16 people will die on this road in 2005 and there will be over 200 accidents.

“That is unacceptable—the probability is that many of these deaths and accidents would not occur if the road was dualled from Perth to Inverness.

“As we know, the major problem with the A9 is that it continually switches between dual and single carriageway.

“This causes particular problems for those unfamiliar with the road such as the very many tourists which visit this part of the world.”