My mum is a bit of a worrier.
So much so, in fact, that any mention of me taking the car somewhere further than Sainsbury’s sets off a bit of a panic attack.
As a result, I deliberately left it to the very last minute to remind her of the trip I had planned to the West Coast last week.
“Are you driving?!” She exclaimed. “Yes, mum. Yes, I am.”
I mean, of course I was driving – why wouldn’t I? I have had my licence now for 20 years without major incident so far. (Yes, mum, I have touched wood.) And I actually enjoy it, especially in good weather conditions.
But, really, how else would I get there? Connectivity across the north of Scotland is nothing short of dire.
Recently we tried to work out how to get a reporter in our Aberdeen office to Elgin on public transport. The realisation that it takes two hours by bus and 90 minutes on a train was astonishing – I can make it to Barcelona from Madrid in almost the same time. So, why is public transport so bad up here?
Aside from the lack of high-speed rail, our roads definitely do not help the situation.
We had been travelling on the A96 for around 40 minutes before we reached the first accident, just before Keith. On this occasion it wasn’t serious, but it was significant enough to bring traffic to a standstill for at least 20 minutes.
I don’t know how long cars queued for, because we decided to turn round and hit the back roads before heading onto the A9.
Both the A96 and the A9 are yet to be fully dualled, despite their significant accident record and a promise from the Scottish Government to invest.
In 2016, the SNP government announced plans to upgrade the A96 road to dual carriageway by 2030, at a cost of £3 billion. The project would include dualling 88 miles of the road between Aberdeen and Inverness. An 18-mile section between Inverness and Auldearn, which would bypass Nairn, was earmarked to be the first section to undergo the works.
But, seven years on, with no significant movement and the SNP’s ever-closer alignment with the Scottish Greens, I can’t see this plan ever coming to fruition.
It’s something I know will hugely frustrate voters, local residents and businesses alike. For years, they have suffered because of the poor infrastructure.
No wonder mothers across the north-east are nervous wrecks
While people say there is no such thing as a dangerous road, only dangerous drivers, I have to disagree. With poor visibility and a lack of overtaking opportunities on the main route between Aberdeen and Inverness, the A96 is often littered with lorries and tractors.
This can regularly lead to a 100-mile journey taking in excess of three hours, leading to exceptionally frustrated drivers.
What I experienced on my way west is a daily occurrence. I have lost count of the number of A96 road accidents the newsroom has reported on in the last two weeks – and I would hate to begin to tally up every one since the start of my career, 13 years ago.
No wonder my mother is a nervous wreck every time she thinks about me driving along the route.
A colleague told me his recent trip from Wick to Aberdeen was made even longer by a few crashes on tricky single-carriageway sections of the journey. Business deliveries, people on their way to work and Royal Mail post vans were all forced to a standstill.
Thankfully, none of the incidents were serious, but all were a reminder of how often traffic can be disrupted when roads aren’t dualled.
That being said, sadly many incidents of this kind are serious and, at times, can be fatal.
Don’t forget about the A96
The Press and Journal is currently campaigning for the Scottish Government to deliver on its promise to dual the A9. But I would also urge them not to forget about the A96.
While it is undisputed that climate targets are important and money is finite, the risks of leaving things as they are surely far outweigh the benefits long term. Vehicles will not be forced off the roads any time soon; even if everyone ends up in electric cars, they still have to be driven somewhere.
Today, The P&J revealed that Humza Yousaf is facing clear political pressure to deliver on the A9 project pledge voters elected the party on many years ago. Let’s hope he remembers about the other promises his party made, too.
Maybe the first minister should listen to the many thousands of worried mums and grannies across the north and north-east, rather than his out-of-touch Green colleagues
And, if all of the arguments above aren’t enough, maybe the first minister should listen to the many thousands of worried mums and grannies across the north and north-east, rather than his out-of-touch Green colleagues.
I may laugh at how ridiculous my mum can seem at times, with her nervous disposition towards my car journeys – but there are countless people out there who had the same fear before a loved one set off along the A9 or A96, and their worst nightmare came true.
And it doesn’t seem so funny after all.
Rebecca Buchan is deputy head of news and sport for The Press and Journal and Evening Express
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