How many more people need to die on the A9 until we’re a priority for Holyrood?
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An issue which has dominated the thoughts of many Highlanders since the start of the summer has been the terrible death toll on the A9 in 2022 – the worst for over a decade.
Tragically, 13 people died last year in eight fatal accidents between Inverness and Perth.
Take a moment to take that in – because it seems some people in Holyrood are just skipping over it.
This has followed major improvements in the rate of accidents on the A9 after the introduction of average-speed cameras on the route in 2014.
But the promise of dualling the full 100-mile-plus stretch would no doubt improve safety further.
Now, I know we always get people who say it's not the road's fault – it's the people using the road. But anyone who has used that road knows that it can be dangerous simply because of the jumping between dual and single-carriageway sections, as well as some drivers’ general frustration if stuck in a growing tailback behind a HGV or agricultural vehicle.
We all want the upgrade to be speeded up so it's no surprise that people were angry and disappointed when the Scottish Government finally admitted yesterday that it would fail to meet a promise for it to be dualled by 2025. A promise made to the public when first elected more than 15 years ago.
A total of 122 people have been killed in accidents on the A9 since the start of 2009.
Less than two months ago, Scotland's transport minister Jenny Gilruth said: “My sympathies are with everyone who has lost a loved one on Scotland’s roads and specifically on the A9 in recent months.
"One life lost on Scotland’s roads is one too many and as a government it is imperative we respond to the devastating increase in fatalities on the A9 in recent months."
This came as she bolstered a safety package, worth £5 million, which includes improvements to highlight single carriageways and the transitions at dualled sections.
Although she stressed yesterday that its commitment to the concept of dualling was still there, the 2025 target was now unachievable – apparently due to factors such as the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine.
Although many of these challenges are beyond the government's control, for me, it sounds like excuses… how is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine holding things up? I feel we need an explanation.
I remember talking to Scottish Government representatives at the Black Isle Show in 2015. Random, I know, but it sticks in my head because I was a proud new dad to my eldest daughter – I asked them straight, how old will she be when this is complete? Unequivocally, I was told she would be 10.
Wow, I thought! As a first-time dad with a newborn that seemed unreal. It felt like a mammoth amount of time. It felt like anything was possible, probably because it was all set against the backdrop of this tiny person going from being just a few weeks old to being a decade old.
Now, like many others, I'm wondering when or if (who knows what Green agenda may be influencing this behind the scenes) this will ever happen. Will the A9 be dualled by the time my daughter gets her driving licence? I certainly hope so.
But how many more people will die in accidents on that road in that time?
