POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING improvements must be made as a matter of urgency to a Strathearn road where five people died in a crash earlier this year, it has been claimed.

Mid-Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Elizabeth Smith yesterday said that upgrades to the A85 at Burnbrae are imperative before there is another fatal accident.

Following the February smash, which claimed the lives of two teenagers and three members of another local family, road operators Transerve Scotland promised work would be done on the stretch of the Crieff-to-Methven road and Ms Smith is concerned about the lack of action so far.

Calling for a full set of safety measures to be put in place as soon as possible, she said, “Like the rest of the residents in the local area, I was pleased when Transerve Scotland responded positively to public pressure in the aftermath of the dreadful crash last February.

“However, it is now several months on and we have yet to see the improvements promised.

“Transerve Scotland gave a commitment in April to extend the double white line section at the blind summit on the road at the west end of the Burnbrae stretch and to investigate where more cautionary traffic signs should be put in place on other sections of the road.

“In the opinion of many residents, there is an urgent need for the extended double white lined section and for much better warning signs in other places.

“For example, there is a particularly dangerous junction where the road down from the village of Fowlis Wester meets the A85 and where there are two bus stops very close to the junction.

“The driver’s visibility at this junction from both the Fowlis Wester and Abercairny sides is severely restricted by overgrown hedgerows and it is very difficult for drivers on the A85 to see these cars exiting onto the main trunk road.”

As well as Transerve, the police have been informed of locals’ fears about speeders on the road.

Ms Smith said, “I have written to Transerve Scotland to ask them to update me on the timescale for the promised improvements and to press them to make further improvements on the other dangerous sections.

“I have also notified Tayside Police of my concerns about the excessive speed of some vehicles on this important stretch of road.

“Road safety is of paramount concern to local people. Two weeks ago we saw work start on the Ballinluig junction on the A9 as part of the national project to improve road safety on trunk roads.

“It is important that the A85 is part of that project and that is why I am calling for more safety measures before lives are lost in another fatal accident.”