Meeting of the Parliament 05 June 2024
A report in 2022 highlighted that the cost of fixing potholes across all of Scotland’s roads was £1.7 billion, and that figure has only risen since then. Indeed, the SCOTS backlog figure, which shows the cost of treating all road sections categorised as red or amber within one year, was nearly £2.2 billion in 2023.
News reports from Caithness highlight the impact on residents of driving longer routes to avoid damaged roads, with residents facing prohibitively expensive car repairs. Local authorities face challenging financial conditions and, without adequate funding for road maintenance and upgrades, councils have to prioritise which roads receive attention, meaning that other upgrades get postponed, with the risk that the condition of those roads will degrade further in the meantime and that, ultimately, it will cost more to repair them.
A prominent example from my constituency is the Cullivoe road project. It is the council’s highest-priority major road development, but the project has been subject to delays, with the estimated cost rising over time to £9.9 million. It is an important link for aquaculture and fishing traffic, as those people need to travel to and from the pier at Cullivoe, and for other developments by the proactive North Yell development council, such as the business park and the proposed caravan park.
Despite that, the road is still single track and in poor condition. Without an upgrade to a two-lane road, it remains a challenge for local industries to navigate. The planning application in that respect has now been submitted, so I am hopeful that we will see progress soon.
Another road project in Shetland is the widening of the Levenwick road, but that, too, has faced many delays. In December, the council said that it could be a number of years before work could begin. Currently, the road is narrower than the current design standards of 6.8m, despite its being the main road to the airport.
Crucially, road improvements are linked to road safety. Recent Transport Scotland figures show that 155 people lost their lives on Scotland’s roads in 2023, and Scotland is not on track to meet the target of reducing the number of road casualties by 50 per cent by 2030. The fact is that 155 lives lost on Scotland’s roads is 155 lives too many, and I offer my condolences to everyone affected.
When the SNP came into government in 2007, it pledged to take action to improve trunk roads in the north and north-east. Communities across Scotland deserve better than missed targets and deadlines. As a matter of public safety, our roads urgently need to be upgraded.
Last week, Nicola Sturgeon said that she was sorry that the Scottish Government’s commitment to dualling the A9 from Inverness to Perth by 2025 could not be met. She said that the project had faced challenges beyond the Scottish Government’s control, avoiding full responsibility for the delays. The admission that the Scottish Government’s commitment to dualling the A9 by 2025 is unachievable is a betrayal of trust and shows neglect to people living in the north of Scotland. After all, 10 out of the 11 most dangerous single-carriageway sections of the A9 are north of Inverness.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are committed to delivering core connections to the Highlands and Islands, including by investing in programmes such as the A9 and A96 upgrades. Upgrading those roads will reduce the severity and rate of accidents, better connect the Highlands and Islands and improve access to employment opportunities and services, including quicker and safer access to hospitals. The upgrades will also improve public transport journey times. The Scottish Government must publish a detailed road map for the completion of the A9 and A96 dualling programmes, and it must commit to investing in infrastructure across the Highlands and Islands.