By Dave Lord

DUALLING OF the notorious A9 along its Perth to Inverness stretch was a key manifesto pledge ahead of the last election, but so far the SNP government has presided over little more than “frustrating and disappointing” delays, a senior MSP has claimed.

Mid Scotland and Fife representative Murdo Fraser insists lives will continue to be lost on the infamous road unless warm words are turned into action.

The SNP has continually renewed its commitment to dual the dangerous route but opposition politicians insist verbal assurances are no longer good enough.

Mr Fraser hit out following a meeting of the government’s road safety expert group, established to look at new and innovative approaches to cutting the number of fatal incidents on Scotland’s roads.

The MSP insists dualling the A9—an arterial route linking northern Scotland with the central belt—would be a “straightforward” way to reduce deaths.

And if safety alone is not enough, he claims campaigners can also cite highly rational economic arguments to back up their case.

“I am glad that the road safety expert group has come together in order to discuss the issue of Scotland’s road accidents,” Mr Fraser told The Courier.

“It is terrible that we have so many accidents in Scotland and many Scottish families are affected by fatalities and serious injuries.

“It is not difficult to see that dualling the A9 from Perth to Inverness represents one of the best ways to improve safety.”

The expert group, chaired by transport minister Stewart Stevenson, was set up last year after statistics showed a 10% rise in fatalities on Scotland’s roads for 2006.

Mr Fraser believes its support for dualling the A9 would be hugely influential. “It seems clear that dualling what is one of Scotland’s most dangerous roads would be a very straightforward way to reduce the number of fatal accidents in Scotland,” the MSP said.

“That is why the clearest message that the government’s road safety expert group can give is to say that the A9 needs to be dualled in its entirety from Perth to Inverness. It is extremely frustrating and disappointing that the SNP government will not give any firm commitments, nor provide any firm timetable for dualling.

“Road users of the A9 want to know what steps are being taken to improve the roads as they are paying record sums in taxation yet are seeing very slow progress,” Mr Fraser added.