A Scottish Tory debate is set to accuse ministers of an “abject failure” to improve rural trunk roads after figures revealed more than 140 people died on the “lifeline” routes in a three-year period.
The debate in Holyrood on Wednesday will argue the Scottish Government has let rural roads go to “rack and ruin” and condemn the failure to dual the A9 route by the initial 2025 target.
But the Tories will argue it is also roads like the A75, A77, A83, A90 and A96 that have been the cause of significant road accidents.
Figures obtained by the party through freedom of information (FOI) requests revealed there were 144 deaths on the major trunk roads which are not in Scotland’s central belt between 2020 and 2023.
The figures showed that 104 of these deaths occurred on the sections of the roads which were not dualled.
Mr Kerr, who is also his party’s General Election candidate for Angus and Perthshire Glens, said: “The SNP have let our trunk roads go to rack and ruin during their 17 years in power.
“The death toll on trunk roads outside the Central Belt is terrifying and unacceptable.
“The A9 rightly gets all the headlines because it is Scotland’s most deadly road and the SNP will miss their own pledge to dual it by at least a decade, which is unforgivable and continues to cost lives.
“But the Nationalists’ abject failure on rural road upgrades also extends to the A75, A77, A83, A96 and A90. These are also lifeline routes that have never been prioritised.”
He said it was “symptomatic of the SNP’s contempt for rural and island Scotland” as he referenced ferry delays affecting key routes.
“Those living in rural Scotland, who feel betrayed by the scandal-ridden, independence obsessed SNP, have the chance to punish John Swinney and co on July 4,” he added.
Figures released by Transport Scotland last month showed deaths from road collisions across Scotland fell by 16 to 155 in 2023, but an increase in casualties between 2022 and 2023 – 5,630 to 5,788.
The number of people seriously injured also rose by 9%, increasing from 1,778 to 1,930.
Transport Scotland has been asked for comment.
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