Deadline on A96 Inverness to Aberdeen dualling scheme consultation set to close next week
People in the Highlands and Moray are being encouraged to respond to a public consultation on the dualling for the A96 before it closes this week.
The Scottish Government’s new consultation follows the publication of a review of the A96 corridor scheme, and the new proposal could see the scrapping of the full dualling of the trunk road between Inverness and Aberdeen,
Earlier this month it was revealed that only 500 responses had been received to the consultation which opened in November after SNP ministers confirmed they would no longer fully dual the road by 2030, as they previously promised to do.
With the consultation closing on Friday, February 21, Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross is urging local people to make their views known on the SNP government’s plans.
He said: “With a week to go until this consultation closes, I am encouraging local people in Moray and across the A96 route to respond and make their feelings known.
“With only 500 responses having been received so far, I understand that local people might be sick of yet another SNP talking shop when it comes to this road.
“However, I am concerned that out-of-touch SNP ministers might take a low response rate to justify not progressing any plans to dual the route, having already broken their promise to fully dual it by 2030.
“I would not put anything past SNP ministers given their record in relation to this key road. Spinning consultation responses in that way would be a complete betrayal of my constituents.
“Lives continue to be put at risk every single day this road is not dualled.
“I know local people feel like they have been ignored for far too long by SNP ministers. However, this is the perfect opportunity to let them know how they feel about their appalling failures and to ensure that the strength of local opinion is so strong, that they will have no option but to listen.”
The SNP’s new proposal would see the 2011 pledge to dual the A96 abandoned, with just bypasses for Elgin and Keith included.
The consultation can be responded to via this link .
