By Dave Lord

GRIEVING RELATIVES are among those supporting the call for dramatically improved road safety measures on a dangerous stretch of the A9.

Numerous lives have been lost on the road at its junctions with Auchterarder, and local councillor Colin Young has insisted action is desperately required.

He is calling for reduced speed limits and even demanded that controversial “average speed” cameras be introduced on the dual carriageway in a bid to cut the spiralling number of fatalities.

In January a 50-year-old man from Edinburgh died near to the Western Road junction which links the A9 with Auchterarder.

Mr Young claims the deceased’s partner is among those supporting the campaign.

“I was recently contacted by the partner of the gentleman who was fatally injured in the incident that occurred on Monday, January 29,” he said.

“While nothing will ever bring her partner back, it is her wish that every effort be made to ensure no further lives are lost at the Western Road junction.

“She is fully supportive of any road safety measures that will achieve this goal.”

Mr Young wrote to Transport Scotland expressing his concerns regarding road safety on the busy A9 close to Auchterarder.

“Transport Scotland has allocated a high priority to the Loaninghead and Western Road junctions,” he said.

“In the next few months a pilot scheme will be started with reduced speed limits on selected A class roads, and the assurance has now been given that this area will be considered.

“While this is not an absolute guarantee that the national speed limit will be reduced over this section of the A9 it is a clear indication that Transport Scotland and the Scottish Executive have recognised there are problems here and that action needs to be taken to address them.”

Mr Young insists stringent measures are required if further serious accidents are to be avoided.

“By the end of June there will be the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of the average speed cameras that have been in place on the A77 between Girvan and Stranraer for the past two years.

“Once this evaluation has been completed, Transport Scotland will be looking to site similar systems on other appropriate routes in Scotland.

“Again this is not a guarantee that this part of the A9 will be chosen but, again, it will be high on the priority list.”

Mr Young insists the level of support for a package of local road safety measures has been “considerable,” but urged police and other agencies to get involved.

“While the support of Auchterarder and District Community Council was always to be expected, the support of Tayside Police and Tayside fire and rescue is fundamental to their published aims to protect life and property.

“I am extremely grateful to Transport Scotland for the very positive responses that I have received but will continue to maintain the appropriate pressure to ensure this part of the A9 has the highest priority for any road safety pilot schemes.”

Meanwhile, the SNP last night called for the A9 to be dualled after another fatal car smash at an accident black spot.

A 50-year-old man and 44-year-old woman were killed when their Peugeot 306 car was in a crash with a camper van near Dalwhinnie.

The female passenger was yesterday named as Elizabeth Hall of Falkirk. The male driver is still to be named.

Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber MSP Fergus Ewing has called for safety measures to be installed at accident black spots on the A9.

The collision was the third fatal accident close to the junction with the A889 Dalwhinnie to Laggan road in the last eight months.

Mr Ewing said, “In the long run, we need to see the A9 and A96 dualled, and this work should be done gradually over the next 20 years.”