Scottish Roads in Crisis: SNP's 'National Disgrace' on A75 and A77 Exposed
The two primary trunk roads serving the south-west of Scotland have been branded a national disgrace and a profound embarrassment. For those fortunate enough not to have driven on the A75 or A77 recently, it is challenging to convey just how appalling their condition has become.
A Stark Reminder of Government Neglect
Over recent days, the campaign trail has traversed Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, regions of outstanding natural beauty. However, this journey served as a stark reminder of why residents there feel utterly abandoned by the SNP government. The A75 and A77 bear immense traffic volumes, from tradesmen's vans and heavy goods vehicles to daily commuters and holidaymakers. These roads are critical connectors, linking Scotland with the rest of the United Kingdom, the port of Cairnryan, and ferry services to Ireland.
They should function as safe, efficient trunk roads. Instead, they resemble a relic from the 1950s, now plagued by constant congestion and alarmingly frequent, often fatal, horror crashes. This lamentable situation is not isolated; it echoes across Scotland's key trunk routes.
Decades of Broken Promises
Over two wasted decades, the SNP has repeatedly broken promises to dual the A9, the main route to the Highlands. They have similarly failed to properly address other vital arteries like the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness, and the A1 in East Lothian. Given that John Swinney has managed to dual only 11 miles of the A9 in his Perthshire backyard, it is little wonder that people in the south-west and elsewhere have lost all hope.
They feel forgotten and profoundly let down by the SNP. Mr Swinney's platitudes about governing for the 'whole' of Scotland ring hollow, exposed as empty promises from a vapid political careerist. The Nationalists' neglect of Scotland's south-west is not merely a source of misery and frustration for drivers commuting to work or travelling to supermarkets; it constitutes an act of economic vandalism.
Economic Artery Treated as a Byway
The A75, for instance, has been treated by the SNP as a mere country byway, the unimportant road from Stranraer to Gretna. They refuse to acknowledge its true significance: the road from Belfast to Scotland, the north of England, and beyond. In essence, it is a vital economic artery. This reality is well understood by business leaders in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Paul Grant of ferry company Stena Line wrote recently: 'These dangerous roads, which hamper economic progress and slow efforts to improve our environment, suffer from chronic under-investment which has often left us with the impression that they have been forgotten about.' The warning is unequivocal, yet the SNP refuses to listen.
Conservative Proposals for Urgent Action
Three years ago, a Conservative UK government provided £8 million to kick-start work. However, SNP ministers in Edinburgh continued to drag their feet. Consequently, last year, MSP colleagues Finlay Carson and Craig Hoy launched a campaign to dual key sections of the A75 by introducing emergency legislation at Holyrood. This legislation could fast-track environmental assessments and help attract private sector investment.
The road could be transformed by 2031 if only the SNP demonstrated the will to act. The Scottish Conservatives have included this plan in their blockbuster election manifesto. Their emergency legislation would also pave the way for the A9 to be fully dualled between Perth and Inverness by the end of the next parliament in 2031. Under the SNP, who can guess when it might be completed? They had promised to finish the project last year. Having broken that promise, few will have faith in their latest target date of 2035.
A Comprehensive Infrastructure Overhaul
The Conservatives would also fast-track improvements to the Dundee-Aberdeen A90, described as having more craters than the moon, and to the perennially-closed A83 in Argyll. Recognising the critical economic importance of keeping Scotland moving, they propose handing responsibility for these projects to a new, lean, and focused agency called Growth Scotland. This agency would replace existing quangos and is part of a broader plan to get Scotland working by cutting taxes, supporting business, and injecting desperately needed growth into the economy.
A Legacy of Failure
After nearly 20 years in power, the SNP has dismally failed to equip Scotland with infrastructure fit for the 21st century. Remarkably, the Romans did a superior job of road building when they invaded Scotland in the 1st century AD than John Swinney has managed 2000 years later. Incredibly, his focus in this election has not been on addressing the problems he has caused. Instead, he is preparing for an independence referendum. If he wins a majority of Holyrood seats, he will prioritise a vote on breaking up Britain.
That is why voters are being urged to vote Scottish Conservative on their peach ballot paper to stop an outright SNP victory and halt their referendum plan, redirecting focus towards fixing Scotland's crumbling infrastructure.
