The failure to respond to the tragic accident when two injured motorists were ignored for three days was one of a number of incidents that occurred when eight separate, fully-functioning police forces were being amalgamated.
It should also be noted that, in addition to this major reorganisation, the Scottish Police were also required to deliver millions of pounds of efficiency savings while merging Scotland’s eight regional constabularies. This was given as the political justification for the change.
It was not unexpected that the Office of the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has been fined £100,000, having admitted the call-handling failures that contributed to the deaths, but were they the ultimate culprits?
Police Scotland has become a very convenient scapegoat, but criticism of the SNP government is also entirely merited. Michael Matheson was the justice minister when this occurred but ultimately Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP were responsible for the largely political reorganisation of Scottish policing with the aim of centralised control.
The Scottish government must also take responsibility for the problems at the national police force. As a consequence, staffing levels at the police call-handling centre during the reorganisation were not sufficient.
Major changes require very careful management and great attention to detail. Imagine the potential difficulties and problems of the multitude of changes necessitated by independence. I have no confidence in the SNP.
David Philip, Knockhall Way, Newburgh.
Bus journey disgrace
We recently travelled by bus from Castlegate to Holburn Junction, a journey of 44 minutes in which we picked up one passenger pre Guild Street and two pre Holburn! We actually stopped at two bus stops in total which is disgraceful.
We had seven buses in front of us that on each occasion stopped at their stops holding up the others behind them. Around the Music Hall we spent 25 minutes waiting for buses to clear their stop along with traffic light changes! Other areas were no better.
Aberdeen City Council (ACC) have no idea what they unleashed in allowing bus lanes to remain closed due to the pandemic and should be held to account for the unacceptable and needless bus pollution.
This requires an immediate assessment by ACC to check on the additional pollution unnecessarily being caused.
If nothing is done by ACC is it worth individuals instigating legal proceeding against the council for the damage to their health?
Dr, Portlethen
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