Ariane Burgess says dualling the A9 will not be a good use of public funds

Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess claims that dualling the A9 will be a bad use of public money

Transcript

00:00expansions. Too often, our transport plans seem to start and end with road upgrades and

00:05expansions rather than looking at all the transport options that we need to invest in,

00:10from buses to bikes, rail and ferries.

00:13The Scottish Government has committed to reducing car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030, a target

00:22that aligns with our legally binding climate commitments. However, the proposed road upgrades

00:27and expansions, such as the full dualling of the A9 and A96, directly contradict that.

00:34Building more and bigger roads will only encourage increased car usage, generate more greenhouse

00:39gas emissions and undermine our efforts to combat climate change.

00:45Over the past decade, the Scottish Government has spent £4 billion on road building projects,

00:51with on-going or planned projects estimated to cost at least £7 billion. Shockingly,

00:57the average completion cost of those projects has escalated by 86 per cent. That is a poor

01:04use of taxpayer money and a misguided approach to addressing our transportation needs.

01:12Instead of investing billions in high-carbon new road infrastructure, we should redirect

01:18those funds towards sustainable alternatives that benefit all of Scotland's residents.

01:24That includes expanding our public transport and active travel networks, which will reduce

01:29emissions, improve public health and reduce inequalities. It is worth noting that around

01:3528 per cent of Scottish households do not have car access and would not benefit from

01:42the proposed road upgrade.