A leading figure in the battle for a flyover on the A90 trunk road in the Mearns has moved to distance herself from all local politicians who have latched on to the campaign.
“I am sick of being used as a political football,” said Jill Campbell, whose petition of 8000 signatures calling for a flyover at the A90 junction with the A937 road to Montrose was sparked by the death of a friend.
“There is no political aim or gain in this for me. I keep my political views to myself,” she said.
“When we started this petition we had cross-party support and I was assured that would continue. I asked all the political parties again for their support when we went back to a meeting of the Scottish Parliament petitions committee this week.
“I have always tried to include everybody of whatever political hue but for whatever reason the only response this time was from the Lib Dems and then we get a row between them and the SNP.
“I am very disillusioned and heartily sick of being dragged into these rows. They are taking the focus away from the real issue, which is that people have died at this junction and we want to stop that happening again.”
The row was sparked after north-east SNP MSP Nigel Don told the Holyrood public petitions committee, of which he is a member, that a flyover would be eventually built at Laurencekirk and therefore the petition should close.Thousands of new housesHe said the flyover would be triggered by plans to build thousands of new houses in the area which would result in increased traffic.
“We were absolutely stunned when we heard that,” said Ms Campbell, who was accompanied to the meeting by fellow campaigner Julie Watson.
“It’s the SNP government which has ruled out a flyover. The scheme is not included in its strategic transport projects review (STPR) for the next 20 years.
“Mr Don has had nothing to say until now, so it would appear he has only become involved because he is now fighting the new Angus North and Mearns seat at May’s Holyrood elections.
“Fortunately there were other members of the petition committee as dismayed as we are about the attitude of Transport Scotland in this and Mr Don’s call to close the petition was rejected.”
Ms Campbell has called for Mr Don to excuse himself from future meetings when the issue is discussed, saying, “He has no right to turn our campaign into a political one. For that reason he should stand aside from the petitions committee when this is being considered.”
She has also called for the resignation of Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson, claiming he is “arrogant and biased” with no concern for the people of the north-east.
“The only reason they are building flyovers at Perth and Stirling is because these are in SNP constituencies whereas the Mearns is not,” she said.
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MSP Mike Rumbles said he was very disappointed with Mr Don’s remarks because he knew “full well” that the government had no intention of building a flyover.
He said, “The transport minister and Transport Scotland have repeatedly treated the public petitions committee with great disrespect by failing to provide very basic information.
“The minister’s failure to make this information public suggests he has something to hide. He cannot be let off the hook after treating the campaigners and the petitions committee so shabbily.”
Mr Don has angrily rejected the accusations, claiming he had treated the issue very seriously as a road safety campaign. He said the flyover was not included in the STPR because the new houses had not yet been built.