It's time for the Scottish Government to invest for the long term in South West Scotland’s transport infrastructure.
From roads to rail, the South West has been badly let down when it comes to investment and building for the future.
The A77 is a vital artery between the ferry ports at Cairnryan and Scotland's Central Belt. Every day it carries a huge number of commuters, tourists, buses and commercial vehicles, but South of Ayr it is only a single carriageway in each direction and passes directly through a number of small towns and villages. It makes no sense for the main roads connecting Northern Ireland to the Central Belt and beyond to have a twisting single carriageway section with 8 speed limit in a single 40-mile stretch.
The A75 which runs between Stranraer and Gretna, and is the main link road into England is in no better condition. Both these roads urgently need a programme of long term investment and improvements. Much the same can be said for the A70 and A76 which both carry huge volumes of traffic daily.
The Bellfield interchange at Kilmarnock has become a significant local bottleneck at busy times. With traffic heading to and from North, East and South Ayrshire all attempting to pass through this area, there are often long queues down onto the A77 which can be a danger to drivers.
So far we’ve secured a commitment from the Transport Minister to conduct a study into the transport infrastructure in South West Scotland. Meanwhile, as a member of the Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, I’m working to secure further commitments from the Transport Minister around improvements to these roads.
There’s a real need for greater joined up thinking when it comes to transport investment. We need to be planning for the long term rather than just attempting to alleviate today’s issues.