The Kintyre Forum

A83: it’s all our own fault!
Outrage as official says standard of driving to blame for poor state of road
Published: 02 May, 2008
COMMENTS from Duncan McNeil of network manager of Transport Scotland sparked outrage at Friday’s meeting of the Kintyre Initiative Working Group after he claimed it was the driving of people in Kintyre and not the state of the roads that was causing damage to the A83 and their vehicles.

He also said that the roadwork’s at Inveraray and that stretch of road to Lochgilphead was of higher priority than the A83 and was laughed at when he denied that two heavy goods vehicles (HGV) could not pass one another at the Erin’s narrows, which was branded ‘scandalous’ by a haulage driver, who have seen their wing mirrors being taken off time and time again and verges being taken away when their vehicles try to avoid each other on the narrow roads.

The area manager for operations from Scotland Transerv Steve Braithwaite, gave a presentation on how the A83 compares to the rest of their network.

The sum of £1.63M is due to be spent on the A83 this year, which will mainly be used on the area south of Ardrishaig to Tarbert, and this should be delivered with a noticeable improvement in the next four or five months. The A83 is now inspected on a Thursday or Friday every week, and on the Monday a temporary repair may be made to an area identified as being dangerous, within 28 days a permanent repair must be carried out on that area.

Councillor John Semple is outraged at some of the claims made by Mr McNeil.

He said: ‘Duncan McNeil didn’t seem to realise that he was sitting in a room full of people who regularly travel the road between Campbeltown and Lochgilphead in HGV, PSV and domestic vehicles.

‘These people are expert witnesses when it comes to driving on this road and should have been granted greater recognition.

‘I was particularly disappointed in his insistence that it was the way that local people drive which cause damage to our vehicles and the road surface. We must now mobilise a campaign to avail Mr McNeil and the Scottish Government of the facts. We may not have the thousands behind us that the A82 Campaign has, but make no mistake the truth will out. I invite Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to travel by bus and meet local road users in Tarbert to see first hand what our lifeline looks like up close.

‘You don’t have to be a civil engineer to see that this is possibly the worse managed stretch of Trunk Road in Scotland.’

Councillor Donald Kelly said: ‘Meetings are fine but we have to see positive action. The politicians who represent us in the Scottish Government need to stand up and be counted and make sure that the much needed investment in the A83 continues until the road is at an acceptable standard.

The trunking of the road between Kennacraig to Campbeltown is essential.’

Councillor Rory Colville said: ‘Many parts of the A83 are clearly no longer acceptable. The Scottish Government and Argyll and bute Council need to find solutions quickly.

‘Many of the problems south of Kennacraig are a result of the roads work force being seconded to Mid Argyll last year. I will be asking senior officers to ensure that this is tackled this year.’