The “appalling casualty toll” on Scotland’s most dangerous road is laid bare today in shock new figures showing there have been 321 injury collisions on the A9 between Perth and Inverness in the last four years.
A Scottish Conservative Freedom of Information request has uncovered that since 2021/22, 28 people have been killed on the road – including 13 fatalities in 2022/23 – while 134 collisions resulted in people being seriously injured.
The SNP Government originally pledged to fully dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025. But in 2023 they put this back a full decade, to 2035, after admitting the target was unachievable.
The Scottish Conservatives have proposed an emergency law that would utilise private companies and expedite Environmental Impact Assessments, in order to fast-track the dualling of the A9 by the end of the next parliament.
Shadow transport secretary Sue Webber said the statistics prove that every day that goes by without this road being dualled is “putting more lives at risk”.
She slammed the SNP’s “shameful betrayal” of those who rely on the A9 – including John Swinney’s own constituents – and called on the First Minister to get it dualled as soon as possible.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport secretary Sue Webber MSP said: “These shocking figures reveal the appalling casualty toll on the A9.
“The SNP first promised to upgrade Scotland’s most dangerous road in 2011, yet 14 years later lives are still being lost and motorists and local communities will have to wait at least another decade for upgrades that should have been completed by now.
“The SNP’s shameful betrayal of those who rely on the A9 – including John Swinney’s own constituents – is unforgivable.
“Every day that goes by without this vital road being dualled is putting more lives at risk.
“Enough is enough. Dualling this road is a matter of life and death. That’s why the Scottish Conservatives are stepping up with bold action to get the job done, by proposing an emergency law to fast-track the dualling of the A9 by the end of the next parliament.
Notes to editors
Since 2021/22 there have been 321 injury collisions on the A9. (Scottish Conservative FOI, Available on Request)
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Injury collusions on the A9 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Killed |
Serious |
Slight |
Total |
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2021/22 |
3 |
28 |
46 |
77 |
|
2022/23 |
13 |
40 |
43 |
96 |
|
2023/24 (1) |
5 |
38 |
45 |
88 |
|
2024/25 (1) |
7 |
28 |
25 |
60 |
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1. Provisional |
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|
|
321 |
In 2011, the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) committed to upgrade the A9 by 2025. The plan was to turn the A9 between the cities of Perth and Inverness from a single to a dual carriageway. (A9 dualling Perth to Inverness, Transport Scotland, accessed 31 October 2022, link)
The SNP will dual the A9 ten years late at the earliest, finishing in 2035 rather than the promised 2025. Mairi MacAllan said: ‘Under the new plan, we anticipate that, by the end of 2030, nearly 50 per cent of the A9 will be open as dual carriageway, rising to 85 per cent by the end of 2033 and, eventually, to 100 per cent by the end of 2035.’ (Scottish Parliament, 20 December 2023, link).
Details of the Scottish Conservative plans to speed up the dualling of the A9 can be read here: https://www.scottishconservatives.com/policies/speeding-up-the-a9-dualling-project/