Meeting of the Parliament 19 December 2024
I will make that link, because another line in the motion is that the Scottish Government has
“to take meaningful action to repair Scotland’s roads”,
which include the A96 at the Union bridge in Keith.
On the point that the minister has just made, I believe that I am backed up by facts. I lodged a written parliamentary question to Fiona Hyslop asking when she last travelled on the A96, and the response showed that it was more than six months ago. I think that the time has come for her to travel on the A96 again and to come to Keith to visit those businesses.
Today, after the debate, I will present to the minister the petition in my hand, which has been signed by more than 350 local people and businesses, that urges urgent action on that road to get the repairs completed and the traffic lights removed. People are avoiding the area, and there is a concern that the situation is costing businesses in Keith £50,000 to £60,000 every month. That needs the urgent attention of Amey as the operating company, but it also has to be taken on board by the Government. On behalf of local people, I will present this petition to the minister, and I hope that he will hand it on to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport later today.
Once again, I urge Fiona Hyslop to come and meet the people of Keith who are suffering because of those on-going works.