A cancer patient says she “dare not” drive on the A9 for appointments due to its safety record and lack of roadside services.
The woman and her husband have outlined their fears to the A9 Dual Action Group. The group is calling for full dualling of the road between Perth and Inverness.
Diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, the woman says her nearest centre of excellence is in Edinburgh.
But her husband told the campaign group: “Attending the centre of excellence would be of great benefit to my wife in many ways. However, we dare not make this journey.
“(This is) mainly due to lack of facilities on the part of the A9 we would be using.
“But also due to the many incidents that may occur at any time. I refer to regular road traffic collisions.
“We need this road dualling and proper and regular places for people to stop.
“Not only for medical reasons, but also so drivers can take a proper break, making them less likely to have an accident.”
Presumption against roadside development
Opening roadside services along the A9 has been a contentious issue since the road was upgraded in the 1970s.
At the time there was a presumption against the development of restaurants, cafes and petrol stations springing up on the road north of Dalwhinnie.
This was aimed at protecting communities which were by-passed when the road was built.
The rule was removed in 2005, but few services have been opened since.
With full dualling of the trunk road delayed, many feel it is time more roadside stops were created.
The A9 Dual Action Group’s Laura Hansler said it is a major issue not having services when the road is closed due to the weather or an accident.
“Lorries are stacked out on the road in these circumstances.
“There are also signs saying ‘don’t drive tired’. That’s grand, where would you like us to pull in for a rest and have a coffee?”
Neil Greig is policy and research director with road safety charity IAM RoadSmart. He said more investment is needed in better laybys and stops on the A9.
“The reality is that drivers these days, especially HGV drivers, expect their services to be easily accessible at the roadside and not tucked away in a by-passed town.”
Up to developers to lodge plans
More roadside facilities is a key priority for the Road Haulage Association.
A spokesman said drivers are restricted on the number of hours they can work so must have access to rest stops.
Highland Council convener Bill Lobban said if plans are lodged for roadside services on the A9 they will be looked at.
“It needs to be considered. Our original concern was when the A9 bypassed them many years ago these villages would die.
“But time has moved on. These villages no longer rely on A9 passing traffic.
“It’s up to whoever intends to operate these services to lodge an application. The council or government are not going to build them. It has to be private industry that does it.”
The Scottish Planning Policy, published in August 2005, removed the presumption against roadside development on the A9.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We recognise the importance of frequent and appropriately sized lay-bys along the A9 for driver safety, to reduce driver tiredness, and for emergency situations.
“The A9 dualling programme will ensure suitable provision of lay-bys between Perth and Inverness, where it is safe and appropriate to do so, in addition to improved connectivity to existing local services along the length of the route.”
The spokesman said developing A9 roadside facilities is a commercial matter for prospective operators.
Cafes have opened, or are planned, on the A9
In 2005, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) approved an application for a coffee shop and miniature whisky centre at Ralia.
Murray Ferguson is CNPA’s director of planning and place. He said it has made provision for the dualling of the A9 in the park’s development plan.
“As is the case with many planning applications within the national park, proposals for new roadside services need to be carefully considered and take account of a number of issues, including the safety and comfort of road users, the impact of any proposals on services in local communities and the special landscape character of the park.”
More recently, a new café has opened in the former tourism information centre at Daviot Woods, near Inverness.
A £12 million development at Tomatin also has planning permission. The developer said he hopes to begin work this winter or next spring.
Plans by the Balavil Estate for a multi-million pound café, farm shops and events venue have been outstanding since 2016.
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