Average speed cameras might not be installed across southern parts of the A9, Scotland’s transport minister has revealed.
Keith Brown told The Courier discussions would take place with the police and Transport Scotland about whether it is necessary to introduce the cameras on areas in Perthshire and Central Scotland that are already dual carriageway.
Mr Brown’s comments came after he met Free Church leaders in the Scottish Parliament, who had raised concerns about the plans.
He said: “For example, Dunblane to Stanley is dualled already. Do you need to have them (average speed cameras) there?”
Mr Brown said the church leaders also expressed support for an upper limit of 50mph for lorries, and said that possibility would be explored further.
He described the meeting as “very constructive” and defended the time scale for completion.
However, members of the church delegation slammed the Scottish Government for being “disingenuous” and described the plans as “disappointing”.
The Rev Alasdair Macleod was a civil engineer before studying to become a minister.
He said: “Having had experience in the planning and design of different civil engineering projects prior to entering the ministry, any idea that there are engineering or planning obstacles that would delay dualling the A9 until 2025 is disingenuous to say the least.”
He added: “In our eyes, average speed cameras over a 136-mile stretch with a 40mph restriction in many parts for HGVs will lead to more frustration, more accidents and more funerals.”
Mr Brown claimed a number of sections on the road will be dualled well before 2025, with more than 50% of the dualling due to be complete by 2022.
The A9 is the longest trunk road in Scotland. The £3 billion the Scottish Government has committed to upgrading the route between Perth and Inverness is the most expensive transport project in Scotland’s history and presents some of the most challenging work ever witnessed.