Police have responded to the pressure of tourists on the NC500 with a level of visibility described as ‘unprecedented’ by Highland’s local policing commander.
Chief Superintendent George MacDonald said he had responded to feedback from councillors whose wards are on the NC500 route with an action plan involving hundreds of hours of police patrols on the route.
Mr MacDonald said: “We have committed 1,300 hours to police visibility on the A832, A835 and A836.
“I come from the north Highlands and it would be an exceptional occurrence to see a roads policing vehicle.
“The feedback I’m getting from my family now is that it’s a weekly occurrence.
“We are putting a huge amount of energy into roads that are very busy.”
Mr MacDonald said that also in response to feedback from Lochaber and Loch Ness councillors, thousands of patrol hours were put into the A82 last year.
He said: “We put in 4,000 pure patrol hours and saw a much improved picture in terms of accidents and collisions on that road, with one fatality as against four the previous year so it is a positive and improving picture.”
Roads policing Inspector Neil Lumsden said: “The North Coast 500 has undoubtedly led to a welcome increase in visitors to the area and we want to ensure that people – both tourists and locals alike – can enjoy these roads safely.
“Regular marked and unmarked patrols were carried out on the roads of the North Coast 500 with more than 1,300 hours of dedicated road policing activity in the last year. This is as a direct response to priorities set for us by our communities who regularly highlight road safety as a key issue.
“Substantial activity has also been ongoing on other key routes, including almost 4,000 hours of patrol on the A82 and in excess of 4,300 on the A9 in the Highland area.”
Mr Lumsden said the force would continue to provide a visible presence across the region’s roads.
He said: “We want everyone to be able to enjoy the roads of the Highlands and we work closely with a number of partners, including the North Coast 500 and the Highland Council, to keep the roads safe under Operation Cedar.
“This can only be done with the co-operation of road users, the vast majority of whom are extremely responsible and should not be tarred by the actions of the few who choose to break the laws of the road.
“Any reports of dangerous driving on the roads of the Highlands are investigated on their own merits as they would be anywhere else in the country.”
