Highland Lib Dems voice opposition to imposing 50mph speed limit

The Highland Liberal Democrats are urging the Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop MSP, to scrap controversial plans to impose a 50mph speed limit on main roads across the Highlands. 

The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals to reduce the speed limit on single-carriageway roads for car drivers to 50mph, which will include Highland roads such as the A82, A96 and A9.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat’s three Scottish Parliament candidates for the Highlands - David Green, Cllr Andrew Baxter, and Neil Alexander - have written to the Transport Secretary to voice concerns raised with them by local residents.

The party’s candidates argue they “understand and support the goal of driving up road safety and reducing emissions” but are “concerned that this one size fits all policy fails to either creatively address those goals or reflect the geographical context in the Highlands.”

The intervention comes after a poll conducted by The Press and Journal which asked readers a simple yes or no question – whether they agree with the Scottish Government’s plan to cut the speed limit to 50mph on single-carriageways? - revealed almost 90% of readers who responded are against the plan.

Members of the Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee have also responded to the National Speed Limit Review Transport Scotland consultation to outline the council’s opposition to a reduction to 50mph.

David Green, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross, said: “Addressing road safety and reducing emissions must be of paramount importance, of that there is no doubt.

“We must also acknowledge the scale of the road journeys that many rural communities take for work and to access essential services, not least health services. There is therefore little surprise that many Highland residents have told me they feel these proposals disproportionately and negatively impact them.”

Cllr Andrew Baxter, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch, added: “If anything, I fear these proposals will only create more frustration amongst drivers who are already at their wits ends with this SNP Government’s failure to deliver their decades long promises to upgrade the A9, A96, and A82.

Neil Alexander, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness and Nairn, said: “The best way to deliver road safety in and out of Inverness is a Scottish Government that refocuses its efforts on delivering on the promise to dual the A9 and A96. No ifs, no buts - just get on with it.”

ENDS.

Notes to editors:

Please see the text of the letter below.

Fiona Hyslop MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity
The Scottish Government
St. Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Dear Cabinet Secretary,

Subject: Opposition to proposals to cut the speed limit to 50mph

Following concerns raised with us by local residents, we are writing to make representations on their behalf with regards to the Scottish Government’s proposals to cut the speed limit to 50mph on single-carriageway roads.

While we understand and support the goal of driving up road safety and reducing emissions - e.g. greater use of traffic calming measures in and out of our towns and villages - we are concerned that this one size fits all policy fails to either creatively address those goals or reflect the geographical context in the Highlands.

Given the sheer scale of the road journeys that many rural communities take for access to essential services, not least health services, there is little surprise that many Highland residents feel these proposals “disproportionately” impact them.

Moreover, while we understand Transport Scotland says the shift in policy could “save lives and reduce serious injuries”, we fear these proposals will only create more frustration amongst drivers who are already exasperated by the Scottish Government’s failure to deliver their decades long promises to upgrade the A9, A96, and A82.

In addition to concerns raised by residents, we note the poll conducted by The Press and Journal which asked readers “a simple yes or no question – whether they agree with the Scottish Government’s plan to cut the speed limit to 50mph on single-carriageways?” Only one day after the poll was published a total of 618 people took part. Almost 90% of those surveyed, 555 people, voted No when asked if they support it.

This position is also shared by members of the Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee who have responded to the National Speed Limit Review Transport Scotland consultation to outline the council’s opposition to a reduction to 50mph.

The bottom line is this; the best way to deliver road safety in the Highlands is a Scottish Government that respects the views of local people and double down on the commitment to dualling and upgrading projects. No distractions from this goal will be acceptable to people living in the Highlands.

We look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

David Green
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross

Cllr Andrew Baxter
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch

Neil Alexander
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness and Nairn