A9 deaths prompt call for early start to dualling works

HOW many more deaths will it take before the Scottish government gives higher priority to dualling the A9?

The question was posed this week by Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, after the latest fatal accident on Scotland’s worst killer road.

A van driver and his passenger died after a collision with a northbound bus at Ralia near Newtonmore on Friday afternoon. Mark McFarlane (38) and Barry Murray (28) were painters and decorators from the Glasgow area.

The road was closed for seven and a half hours. Northbound traffic was diverted through Dalwhinnie and southbound diversions were through Crubenmore.

The female bus driver was flown by air ambulance to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow suffering from serious injuries and yesterday had regained consciousness.

She was trapped in the wreckage and had to be cut free by the fire service.

The tragedy happened a week after two lorry drivers lost their lives in a head-on collision on the A9 near Calvine, north of Blair Atholl.

“This is the second double fatality in a week,” said Mr Nicol yesterday. “How many more does it take? The latest tragic accident just underlines how unfit for purpose the A9 is. I know local politicians have been calling for dualling work to be started sooner and I would echo that.”

The Scottish government is committed to dualling the trunk road between Inverness and Perth, but work is not due to start until 2017 and will not be completed until 2025.

On Friday there were 46 passengers on the bus, the 12.30pm from Edinburgh to Inverness.

Fourteen were taken to Raigmore for treatment, with no life-threatening injuries, and the rest taken by bus to Inverness where Highland Council arranged welfare and accommodation.

Passenger Charles McGranaghan (40), was coming north to visit friends in Nairn.

“I had just texted my girlfriend when I was thrown forward and bounced back off the seat in front,” he said. “I could smell petrol and smoke, so my concern was to get everyone off the bus. I managed to get most of the passengers off through the emergency exit at the back and then went back for a woman who was lying unconscious at the front of the bus, but she came round and managed to get to her feet.”

Mr McGranaghan, a mature student at Edinburgh University, was treated at Raigmore for minor head injuries.

“There might have been some festival-goers on the bus, but it wasn’t bound for RockNess, it was bound for Inverness bus station,” he added.