FIRST Minster John Swinney has agreed to visit Dumfries and Galloway to see the A75 for himself as calls for improvements to the road continue.
The move comes after campaigners called on the UK and Scottish Governments to work in tandem to deliver the £8 million feasibility study on the A75.
Often described as a ‘key artery’ to the ports at Cairnryan, the A75 has had a dark cloud hanging over it with collisions occurring on a near weekly basis, with the latest crash happening yesterday near Springholm involving a car and a tractor.
John Swinney confirmed during last week’s First Minister’s Questions a willingness to meet with campaigners, MSP Finlay Carson and
the South West Scotland Transport Alliance to consider calls for a task force to deliver urgent improvements to this key artery to the ports at Cairnryan.
Mr Swinney said: “I know the importance of the issue to Mr Carson and his constituents, so we will engage constructively on that basis.
“I would be very happy to meet Mr Carson and his local campaigners to discuss the the importance of the issue to Mr Carson and his constituents, so we will engage constructively on that basis.
“I would be very happy to meet Mr Carson and his local campaigners to discuss the improvements to the A75 and to take forward that dialogue.”
Afterwards the Galloway and West Dumfries MSP welcomed the interest shown by the First Minister to come and see for himself the safety and reliability problems faced by motorists and HGV drivers travelling the A75.
He said: “I look forward to welcoming the First Minister, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.”
Details and the exact timing of the visit to the region have still to be finalised.
