Residents of Dunbeg in Argyll who are forced to cross a busy trunk road in darkness to get to a bus stop are calling for proper lighting.
The village, just three miles outside Oban, is situated along the A85 Oban to Perth road.
Transport Scotland has announced plans for a new crossing at the bus stop, following years of campaigning by locals.
But there is still no proposal to install lighting there, despite an online petition calling for it, signed by 288 people.
Traffic speeds by at 60mph as people trying to get the bus into Oban are forced to cross. This is difficult enough in daylight, but Dunbeg mum May MacKenzie said it is “terrifying” in darkness.
She said: “If they are doing a crossing, surely they could put lights in at the same time. It’s so sad.
‘It was pitch dark, cars were flying past at 60mph’
“A group of five of us were heading into town for a night out. We were catching the 6.40pm bus from Glasgow. It was pitch black, we couldn’t see a thing.
“Cars were flying past at 60mph. There is no warning to drivers that people could be crossing.
“This is horrendous. Do we have to wait until someone gets hit before something is done?”
She added: “We didn’t feel safe. I felt absolutely petrified standing there. The cars were going at least 60mph.
“What if someone was infirm, trying to get across that road? It also must be difficult for people with kids.
“I have been bringing this up for eight years. I used to pick my auntie up off the Glasgow bus. It was safer for her to go into Oban than it was to try and cross the road in the dark at Dunbeg.”
Mrs MacKenzie has taken the issue to Dunbeg Community Council, which is in full support and has contacted Transport Scotland.
Allan Strang, the community council’s spokesman, created the petition on Change.org . It is titled: “Need for lights for main road southbound bus stop and safe crossing A85 Dunbeg Oban route.”
‘There have been lots of near misses’
He said: “For years we’ve been asking for a safe crossing and lights. There have been lots of near misses. People have to run the width of the A85 in the dark.
“About 20 years ago a young woman was hit by a car when she was trying to cross in the dark. We don’t want that to happen again.
“It is a dangerous stretch of road. We really need some lighting there.”
And Bill Harvey, also a member of the community council, had a harrowing experience crossing the road on Friday night.
He said: “I came off the bus from Fort William at 7.15pm. Because I have arthritis in my right hip, I walk slowly with the aid of a stick. It was pitch black. The bus moved away. I waited until the cars went past and launched out onto the road, trying to rush over before another car came.
“Due to it being a straight stretch of road, most vehicles are going at 60mph. I totally lost my bearings on the road and had to try and gauge where the pavement was in case I tripped on it.
“When are we going to get lights outside the village at the entrance and at the bus stop? We have been asking for this for years.”
What does Transport Scotland say?
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. A proposed uncontrolled crossing point and footway is to be installed at this location which will link the footway at Dunbeg with the bus stop layby situated on the A85 Oban side of the road. The design work for this will progress in April of 2023 with installation as soon as possible thereafter.”
He said: “No additional illumination is proposed as part of the works.”
Future projects on the A85 include signing schemes at the Halfway House filling station near Dunbeg and between Oban and Connel.
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