A Glenrothes action group has called on the Scottish Government to reject an “unacceptable” recommendation not to upgrade the A92.
The Glenrothes Area Futures Group (GAFG), which represents all of the town’s community councils, churches and residents’ groups, has appealed to transport minister Keith Brown and the Scottish Parliament’s petitions committee to ensure long-awaited improvements to the route are carried out despite Transport Scotland’s shocking conclusion.
In a report published last month, the transport body said its study had not identified any potential options to be taken forward for further consideration and development. Residents had campaigned for improvements to five identified hazards on the main road through the town and had hoped the report would at least result in traffic lights at the Cadham and Balfarg junctions the scenes of several accidents over the years.
A 3500-signature petition was lodged with the Scottish Parliament in the summer of 2008 and Transport Scotland’s rejection of the calls was seen as a bitter blow to campaigners.
GAFG said it is now waiting to see if the official report is acceptable to the government and the petitions committee. Spokesman Ron Page said, “We hope it is not.
“We earnestly hope that, since the recommendation is based on the statistics of injurious accidents rather than on the prevention of such accidents, that it will not be kicked into touch. We appeal to the minister of transport and to the petitions committee to ensure this.”
Mr Page said the decision meant only a series of serious or even fatal accidents on one spot inside three years would result in improvements on any of Scotland’s trunk roads.
“How can Transport Scotland justify its criteria? These STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) criteria must surely be rejected and revised,” he added.
“The GAFG’s interpretation of the appraisal is that fatal and serious accidents have major precedence as criteria over safety and the prevention of accidents. It implies that that upgrading and improvements will happen only when several injury accidents take place this is what we wish to avoid.
“The futures group rejects the use of such bare, inhuman statistics as the chief criterion for trunk road improvements. This patch of the A92 Glenrothes trunk road is nationally known as dangerous and not fit for purpose, and has been recognised as such by a massive number of groups, including MSPs.”
Mr Page added that the futures group had support from all of Fife’s MSPs, MPs and councillors, as well as businesses, coach companies, the police and the Fife branch of the Road Hauliers Association.
“These are the people who sought and seek safety changes to the A92 at Glenrothes and to whom Transport Scotland has said ‘No’. Even the unanimous findings and recommendations of the independent focus group initiated by Transport Scotland have been ignored.
“We cannot sit back and wait for serious accidents to happen. This is a trunk road unfit for purpose and we refute the Transport Scotland STAG statistical criteria as superior to the need of an improved trunk road for both social and economic reasons.”
Transport Scotland’s study looked at options for both the Balfarg and Cadham junctions and concluded all would increase traffic and bumps at other locations and would create an additional delay.