Spittal resident's anger over A9 road issue letter from BEAR Scotland
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A Spittal resident has been left fuming after being told that a stretch of the A9 through his hamlet is "not a priority site for further investigation" with regard to installing traffic calming measures.
Eddie Rowan spoke about the issue last month saying that speeding vehicles regularly flout the 50mph restriction on the A9 through Spittal and more needs to be done to slow them down.
"It's an accident waiting to happen," said Mr Rowan. "Bear Scotland having no advisory signs for HGVs speeding through Spittal is a serious disregard of residents' safety. There are no traffic signs whatsoever to inform any vehicles that there are two side roads joining the A9 and a quarry entrance. Bear Scotland is putting vehicles speeding through Spittal before the safety of residents or pets."
Mr Rowan says that he often walks his dog along the stretch in the evening and takes "proactive action" to protect himself by wearing a hi-vis vest and carrying a torch but it "makes not a bit of a difference and they still speed by".
He also shared a picture taken at Achandunie, which lies close to Alness and which he says is similar in size to Spittal, showing a 40mph restriction in place. "Truck speed is 40mph on A roads in Scotland except the A9 from Perth to Inverness which is 50mph."
The Threipland Place resident has almost 50 years experience of driving heavy vehicles himself, stated that many HGV drivers go beyond the speed limit on the road which has a blind summit, a dangerous corner and a bus stop with no warning lights.
"There has never been any consultation with the residents of Spittal," he wrote in an email to Bear Scotland – the road maintenance and management firm responsible for the area in question.
In a letter dated October 19, Bear Scotland road safety manager, Richard Perry, told Mr Rowan that a review of the A9 through Spittal did not identify it as a "priority site for further investigation at this time".
It further stated: "The signing associated with the 50mph speed limit on A9 through Spittal has been reviewed by experienced road safety engineers at Bear Scotland, who have confirmed that it aligns with national regulations. The signing is also regularly inspected and in good condition. Street lighting is also provided, which emphasises the presence of housing and pedestrians."
The safety manager said there was no record of personal injury road accidents at the site over the last five years and, in relation to a point raised by Mr Rowan over alleged animal fatalities, he told him that "the collection of domestic, agricultural and wild animal collision data is not taken into consideration when prioritising casualty reduction schemes".
The area in question did not meet the requirements for a safety camera but it was also stated that a site selection exercise is currently under way across Scotland and "should this location be identified as a stretch of road which meets minimum requirements then a camera deployment will be considered".
Mr Perry finished his letter by saying: "The choice of speed and conduct lies solely with the driver. Unfortunately some drivers may choose to disregard a clearly and correctly signed speed limit or behave in an inconsiderate manner regardless of the presence of measures to encourage greater compliance."
Mr Rowan called the firm's response "totally unacceptable" and accused Bear Scotland of prioritising the speed of traffic over pedestrian safety.
"Residents of Spittal will not rest until something has been done for our safety. Remember that life cannot be replaced – it's your responsibility, Bear Scotland. We now intend to seek legal advice."
