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Scott Begbie: A96 dualling deserves to be as much a priority as any Central Belt project

Can you imagine any such dithering were the choice to involve a crucial central belt route?

In Edinburgh and Glasgow, driving can be a choice. In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, it is a necessity.
In Edinburgh and Glasgow, driving can be a choice. In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, it is a necessity.

As the Scottish Government ramps up the war on cars, I can safely say I would happily give up mine tomorrow – if I lived in the Central Belt.

As I type, I am sitting in the chi-chi Stockbridge part of Edinburgh in a funky café, happily people watching, as well as noting bus after bus going past to all parts of the city, including the services that got me here quickly and cheaply.

Over my weekend trip, I have also traversed the capital from Leith to the Gyle on the nifty tram system—two quid, what a bargain.

If I want to get to any of the towns down the coast from Embra or over in Fife, there’s a plethora of trains and buses.

You could happily live here and never feel the need to jump in your motor – and if you did, there’s a shiny network of motorways and fancy new bridges to get you where you need to be.

Meanwhile, up in the north-east, tumbleweed rolls over the promises made to do little things. You know, like dual the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness.

We are now in a “mibbes aye”, “mibbes naw” scenario, waiting for Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop to issue the edict on whether the promised upgrade is delivered or watered down.

Can you imagine any such dithering were the choice to involve a crucial central belt route?

Delay in A96 dualling decision down to looking at reducing speed limits?

The delay in that decision might be down to her instead looking at whether the speed limit on single carriageway roads – that’ll be stretches of the aforementioned A96 – be slashed from 60mph to 50mph.

Locators of the A96 going through Keith.<br />Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

So, not only will the roads be unfit for purpose, they will also be slower to get where you need to be. All part of the ditch the car mantra.

Which would be fine if there was a nifty, regular, cheap and fit-for-purpose public transport network in the north-east to take up the slack.

You know – reliable and affordable trains, see also buses. A network that caters for people to get around easily, be it for work or play, day and night.

If anyone knows of such a thing, could you let me know? Hands down in the Central Belt, we know you’re sorted.

I get the drive (pun intended) to cut car use. I’m all for saving the planet. But if you want to get people to buy into a modal shift, you need to use more carrot and less stick.

Instead, we have a steady drumbeat of making things as difficult as possible for drivers, be it outdated roads or bus gates and LEZ zones which don’t wash in an area like the north-east, with its mix of urban and rural communities.

In Edinburgh and Glasgow, driving can be a choice. In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, it is a necessity.

So instead of squandering taxpayers’ money on nonsense like making bad roads even worse, how about making them safe and fit for purpose, while creating public transport people want to – and can – use.

Because right now, the policy isn’t working. How do I know? The latest Transport Scotland figures show car use, far from going down, has increased by 3%.

Holyrood is on the wrong road, and it’s time to get off.


Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.

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