Aberdeenshire Council proposes a speed reduction on a busy north-east road.
The speed limit on the A948 from the A90 to Yonderton will be reduced to 50mph for 18 months to allow a traffic management review to be undertaken.
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “The council’s Formartine Area Committee will be consulted on any future public consultation should there be a need to introduce a permanent speed restriction.”
MSP Peter Chapman welcomes the proposal to reduce the speed limit, due to come into force on April 20. He said: “The road is extremely dangerous, especially at busy times, and it’s vital something is done to try and make it safer.
“It’s positive Aberdeenshire Council has taken the step of exploring a reduced speed limit on the route.
“The road is 60mph at the moment but the number of junctions along it which often have blind spots mean the risk of a serious crash or fatality is greatly increased.
In May last year an accident took place on the A948 Ellon Bypass at the junction with Knockothie Crescent.
The woman involved in the accident sustained serious injuries and had to be cut out of the wreckage before being taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The cause of the crash is not known, but it prompted calls for an urgent safety review on the road from Ellon and District councillor Gillian Owen.
She said yeterday: “The speed reduction to 50 mph on the A948 is a start.
“For many years the speed on this road has troubled me and on numerous occasions I have asked for the mobile flashing speed sign to be placed on this road. The latest results were pretty stark and I ensured that those figures were highlighted.”
Mrs Owen said she still considers the 50mph proposal “too fast” and that she will continue to campaign for a greater reduction. She said: “Once the cemetery is fully operational it will need to be looked at again together with other road safety measures to alert people to the need for a change in speed.”
Mr Chapman said: “It was devastating to have a fatality on the road last year and it signalled that urgent action had to be taken to ensure these sorts of incidents can’t continue.”
