A leading Scottish business chief has demanded the SNP honour a promise to dual the entire length of the vital Aberdeen-Inverness route, or risk undermining the whole of the north.
Liz Cameron OBE, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, says the region needs a “firm commitment” to give the economy a “much needed boost”.
And she accused the government of making major transport policy decisions before it understands the long-term travel implications of the coronavirus pandemic.
The future of the £3 billion dualling project was plunged into doubt last year after the SNP signed a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.
It was agreed that a review would be carried out to assess how the scheme fitted in with the government’s climate change objectives.
A public consultation on the A96 corridor came to an end on June 10.
In a letter, Ms Cameron wrote: “We wish to once again stress the importance of the dualling of the entire length of the route to Scotland’s businesses and particularly those connected to the A96 in the Highlands, Moray and north-east.
“SCC are firmly of the view that the Scottish Government should honour the commitment made to businesses and communities along the A96 that the road is dualled from start to finish, unlocking economic growth, workforce mobility and investment along the route and providing improved connections between two of Scotland’s leading cities and areas of economic growth.”
‘Just transition’ for oil and gas
Ms Cameron linked the road project to the government’s plan to shift away from oil and gas, despite opponents’ claims the dualling is at odds with tackling climate change.
The Scottish Government has said long-awaited plans to dual the A96 from Inverness to Nairn will not be hindered by an environmental review because that section already has consent.
The review considers road safety while encouraging the uptake of low emission vehicles.
It looks at the impact of the global “climate emergency” and the Covid-19 pandemic on how people work and travel along the route.
Pandemic impact
Ms Cameron raises concerns about the focus on pandemic habits.
“SCC remain concerned that major transport policy decisions are being based
on the short-term impact of the pandemic, whilst we still don’t understand what the long-term impact on business and leisure travel is likely to be,” she wrote.
“As Scotland’s economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, we expect travel to return to and potentially surpass the pre-pandemic levels, making the completion of this project vital for businesses and economic growth.”
Railway
Ms Cameron also supports dual-tracking the Inverness to Aberdeen railway.
“Dualling of the full route will unlock significant economic benefits for businesses and communities based in the region as well as contributing to the economic growth of the city regions centred on both Inverness and Aberdeen,” she added.
“We urge the Scottish Government to give a firm commitment to the dualling of the A96 to give businesses and the economy a much needed boost as we continue to grow and recover from the impact of the last few years.”
The A96 review is due to report by the end of this year.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government continues to progress preparation for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass, scheme with a view to completing the statutory process.
“Delivery of the scheme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets.
“This work is separate from the wider A96 Corridor Review. A transparent, evidence-based review of the programme will report by the end of 2022.”