New figures show that investment in Trunk Roads in the Scottish Borders has fallen by a more than half under the SNP.
In the past 4 years, a total of £2.8m has been spent on Trunk Road improvements in the Borders. Over the previous 4 years, £6.5m was spent on the same 5 key routes.
While spending has increased this year, this follows three years of record lows in investment. Since 2012-13, for example, the Melrose bypass has only had £8,463 spent improving the 7 mile route.
The figures, provided in response to a Parliamentary Question from John Lamont MSP, include spend on the A1, A6091, A68, A702 and A7 in the Borders.
John Lamont MSP has said road users will be concerned that investment in key routes in the Borders has fallen so dramatically and that these figures are yet further evidence that the Borders is an “afterthought” for the SNP Government.
John Lamont MSP said: “While the level of investment this year is to be welcomed, this has followed three years of little improvements for major roads in the Borders. Investment has fallen so rapidly that in the past 4 years the SNP spent less than half the amount on improving trunk roads in the Borders compared to the 4 years before.
“Given the amount of talk about improving safety and the condition of our roads, drivers in the Borders would expect more, not less money to be spent in recent years. There have been a number of tragic accidents on our trunk roads in recent years and it’s clear more needs to be done to make them safer. These figures are yet further evidence that the Borders is becoming an “afterthought” for an increasingly central belt focussed SNP Government.
“With Scottish Borders Council spending less than half the amount required just to keep the roads in their current state, there is a real risk that driving in the Borders is going to become increasingly difficult and increasingly unsafe.”
