Hansard

I have had a particular affection for the A9 since I helped to build part of it during the long, hot summer of 1976. It was a massive improvement on the previous road, but few people predicted back then that Inverness would grow at the rate that it has and become such an economic success story; few people predicted that the road would have to carry the amount of traffic that it now does; and few people could have imagined how fast and powerful modern vehicles would become.

Three years later, in the summer of 1979, my grandparents were killed in a road accident that involved both alcohol and excessive speed on the part of the driver of the other vehicle. I therefore have first-hand knowledge of the devastating effect of road traffic accidents on families. Ever since, I have had a heightened awareness of road safety.

That is why I am so pleased that this Government has introduced a lower alcohol limit for drivers, it is why I am pleased that this Government continues its focus on improving road safety, and it is why I am pleased that this Government continues to improve the quality of our road infrastructure, because the design and quality of our roads are, in themselves, important components of road safety.

That is also why I am pleased that the A9 average-speed cameras scheme is proving to be successful, with speeding cases reducing from one in three to one in 20 and excessive speeding down by 97 per cent. There is no question but that speed is a significant factor—perhaps the most significant factor—in serious and fatal accidents.

However, it is not just the implementation of the A9 speed cameras that is important. Important, too, is the way in which it has been done. The Scottish Government has followed an evidence-based approach, looking closely at examples from other countries and the experience from the average-speed cameras on the A77. The Scottish Government has also consulted widely, most obviously with the wide group of stakeholders that make up the A9 safety group, including Transport Scotland; Police Scotland; the Highland, Tayside and central Scotland safety camera partnerships; Highland Council; Perth and Kinross Council; BEAR Scotland; the Road Haulage Association; the Freight Transport Association; the Federation of Small Businesses; the Confederation of Passenger Transport; the Institute of Advanced Motorists; Stagecoach; the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and others. The proposals and the strategy have therefore been informed by all of that opinion.

In keeping with its overall strategy, the Scottish Government has looked closely at how the scheme is operating, and it continues to do so, analysing the data carefully as it becomes available. That is why we know that the results after the first three months are so encouraging.

However, this is not just a question of encouraging safer and more responsible driving. It also goes hand in hand with the commitment to complete the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025. This Scottish Government is the first to give a commitment to dualling the A9—the biggest transport project that Scotland has ever known, with a cost of around £3 billion.

As a member of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee, I was delighted to learn how well the Queensferry crossing project is progressing, as it is both on time and below budget. I am even more pleased to learn that the anticipated savings are allowing the early progression of some of the first phases of the A9 dualling project. That is a great example of success building on success, and great credit is due to Transport Scotland. That is what good government, working hand in hand with competent Government agencies, looks like.

On Friday, I drove from Edinburgh to Inverness, for much of the journey on the A9, on a day of blue skies and silver sunshine. There was some snow still on the hills, and more on the mountains. I drove through that enchanting landscape with vista after vista opening up before me, through a landscape where the road signs conjured up much of Scotland’s history, from Killiecrankie to Culloden. It was a very pleasant journey, made at a good average speed through smoothly flowing traffic. Slowing down a bit can add a little quality to our lives, as well as improving safety.

The Press and Journal has helpfully produced a survey that suggests that the public are happy with the average-speed cameras on the A9. However, I must finish by condemning those politicians who have seen the issue as a bandwagon on which to jump. I am thinking in particular of Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who has blown on some slight embers of discontent, hoping to fan them into a bonfire merely as a means of opening up an assault on the SNP Government.

There is no place in Scotland for that kind of irresponsible and shameless politics. It is time for Mr Alexander to get behind the Scottish Government’s efforts to improve safety, and stop playing politics with this important issue.