Moray Council has reiterated its backing for the dualling of the A96 trunk road between Aberdeen and Inverness.
It came as members considered the local authority’s response to the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership’s (Hitrans) draft strategy.
Council officers are involved with the group and Elgin North councillor Amber Dunbar is its vice chairwoman.
Long-standing commitment to A96 dualling
She suggested including a statement to accompany the comment that the local authority strongly agrees to the dualling of A96 and A9.
And in particular that Elgin, Keith and Nairn should be bypassed to vastly improve connectivity, tackle congestion and address safety and environmental concerns.
Ms Dunbar said: “The council remains of the view the Elgin, Keith and Nairn bypasses will only be fully effective if there is a dual carriageway.
“This is the only way road safety and environmental and strategic connectivity benefits of the scheme can be realised.”
The move was welcomed by other members of the economic development and infrastructure committee this week.
Chairman Marc Macrae, who is a Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor, said backing for dualling the roads had been “the settled will of the council” for some time.
‘Rail network in Moray uncompetitive’
Member for Elgin South Graham Leadbitter aired his “long standing commitment” to the project.
He said: “It’s a long standing issue that’s been campaigned on in Moray and beyond.”
However councillor Draeyk Van Der Horn said he did not agree with the statement.
The Scottish Greens councillor, who represents Forres, said he was not in favour of dualling the A9 or the A96, but is not against bypassing the three towns.
Mr Van Der Horn brought up another point in the report in relation to poor, uncompetitive train services resulting in people using their cars instead.
And the need to support a better rail network to increase services between Inverness and Aberdeen with the Central Belt.
He said: “I just wanted to make sure that is seen as a similar priority.”
Forres councillor Paul McBain highlighted that bus passenger numbers have not recovered to their pre-Covid levels.
And an increase in the under 23s using services had not offset the fall in use by the over 65s.
The aims of the Hitrans strategy is to improve connectivity in communities and across the regions, move to a post-carbon network and provide reliable transport options for all.
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