Ignoring cyclists when dualling the A9 would be ‘monumentally daft’, says Green Party

The Scottish Greens have warned the £3 billion A9 dualling project neglects cyclists.

Alison Johnstone MSP said she was concerned dualling could make it harder for people living along the route to get from A to B by bicycle.

And she said the project risked unnecessary additional costs by not including cycle routes in its design.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said the Scottish Government is “actively engaged” with “non-motorised” users to consider the dual carriageway’s design.

In correspondence with the Perth branch of the Scottish Green party, however, Transport Scotland has said the new road is “unlikely to have parallel cycle routes” due to “environmental impacts and costs”.

Ms Johnstone said: “It would be monumentally daft if they spent three billion pounds on a dual carriageway which did not incorporate better cycle infrastructure for communities along the route.”

Roger Humphry of Perth Greens added: “Dualling of the A9 gives an opportunity to improve facilities for walking and cycling but we have no confidence this will happen.”