The SNP Government need to take action to improve the A1 in light of the UK Government’s commitment to do so south of the Border, say John Lamont MP and Rachael Hamilton MSP.
Calls to dual the single carriageway sections as well as other significant improvements have long been called for. Yet the Scottish Government claims it will make the decision by the end of 2017, according to its report: ‘A Plan For Scotland: The Scottish Government's Programme For Scotland 2016-17’.
This is despite continuous calls from former MSP, now MP, John Lamont to make these improvements.
Meanwhile, south of the border, the UK Government’s Transport Investment Strategy published this week has identified the A1 as a weakness and that it ‘hold[s] back growth’ and must be improved.
The UK Government has earmarked a £220 million fund to tackle pinch points on roads including the A1 and to also dual it in parts.
John Lamont MP said: "The UK Government has acknowledged the A1 is a weakness. Now it is time the SNP Government stopped dithering, reached the same conclusion and took action to make significant improvements to the A1. For too long the SNP Government has only paid lip service to the A1 and not addressed those issues that hold back growth in Scotland.
"The A1 is vital to the Borders economy, particularly Berwickshire’s, which is only being held back the SNP’s inaction."
Rachael Hamilton MSP said: "The SNP have had 10 years to fix our roads, but here we are again waiting for the SNP Government to come to the same conclusion everyone else already has.
"The inadequacies of the A1 are plain for us all to see, but seemingly not the SNP. I want to see the dualling of the A1 and I want to see significant improvements made that will help not only the Borders’ economy, but also Scotland’s."