The Scottish Conservatives today called for the SNP Government to stop dragging their feet and make good on their promise to upgrade major roads across Scotland.
Shadow Transport Minister Graham Simpson, who lead the debate in The Scottish Parliament, said the SNP cannot keep ‘dodging and deflecting’ on their commitment to dualling the A9 and A96, which has been promised in their manifesto since 2011.
The Scottish Conservatives argued that the SNP have sided with their Green coalition partners and are intent on punishing car drivers instead of putting Scotland’s best interests first.
Graham Simpson raised concerns that despite Scottish people crying out for safer, better infrastructure, the SNP have refused to commit until a so-called environmental assessment has been carried out.
This SNP Government’s short-sightedness will result in parts of Scotland missing out on vital investment, with businesses choosing to base themselves closer to the better-connected Central Belt.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Graham Simpson MSP, said: “This dodging and deflecting only casts further doubt on the SNP’s promise of crucial road upgrades.
“The SNP’s blind ambition to wage war on drivers, spurred on by their Green partners, shows little concern for the public.
“These roads are used extensively by emergency services. How can an ambulance reach an incident or a hospital quickly when roads have been left to deteriorate?
“These are arterial routes for haulage and freight - essential for transporting goods across the whole of Scotland, but especially in rural areas.
“If we want to encourage public transport, then buses and coaches need the infrastructure there to make it an attractive option for people.
“The SNP argue these journeys should be made by rail, but the connectivity just isn’t there, and neither is the SNP’s ambition.
“SNP Ministers need to deliver on their commitment to upgrading these critical pieces of road infrastructure, which they have been pledging for over a decade.”
