PRESS RELEASES   TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 2009 Campaigners for the upgrading of the A82 have started their 2009 Campaign by attending a major national conference on Scotland’s Transport Infrastructure in Edinburgh this week. Key note speakers were Stewart Stevenson MSP and Minister for Transport and Malcolm Reed, Chief Executive of Transport Scotland. Campaigners were encouraged to  hear support for the upgrading of the A82 coming from Councillor Alistair Watson, chair of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) who said ‘ The A82 is critically important to the West Coast of Scotland, it is our A9. What is included in the STPR is not enough. We need more. Some operators refuse to use this road. We stand full and square behind those who are campaigning for improvements.’ The need to upgrade the A82 was highlighted by a number of speakers at the conference. Meanwhile the A82 Partnership still awaits a response from Transport Scotland to their request for a meeting to explain the details behind the recently released Strategic Transport Project Review report. Brian Murphy, Chair of the A82 partnership, said ‘We were disappointed with the lack of clarity in the report which gave no detail on what works were proposed nor on any timescale. In addition the report did not seem to take account of the economic case which we have made for reducing journey times to and from the West Coast of Scotland. This point on the economic case was highlighted by John Hutchison during the conference in Edinburgh and we await a written response.’ The Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee continue to pursue the case on behalf of campaigners and they decided, at their meeting on 16 December, to write to Transport Scotland and to seek responses to the points made by Argyll and Bute, Highland Council and West Dunbartonshire Councils,   Strathclyde Police, Road Haulage Association etc in their recent written submissions to the Petitions Committee. A response from Transport Scotland to the Petitions Committee is anticipated before the end of January. The A82 Partnership have again requested that all supporters of the campaign put the Transerv fault line telephone number into their mobile phones and call the number when they see a fault or an incident on the A82.  The Transerv fault line number is 0800 028 1414   TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2008 CAMPAIGN GROUP CALLS FOR MEETINGS Following the publication of the Strategic Transport Project Review (STPR) report last week by Transport Scotland the A82 Partnership, the group campaigning for the upgrading of the A82 trunk road between Glasgow and Inverness are calling for meetings with their local MSP’s and with Transport Scotland. Upgrading of the A82 was included as one of 29 strategic projects included in the report, which also included the Forth replacement crossing and the dualling of the A9, but the group will be seeking further information on exactly what improvements are proposed for the A82 and when these will be carried out. The report contained no timescales for the projects within the 10 year period covered by the report The STPR report calls for investment of between £12 and £20 billion in 29 projects on Scotland’s road and rail network between 2012 and 2022 with between £100 and £250 million to be spent on the A82. The Chairman of the A82 Partnership, Councilor Brian Murphy said ‘It is obviously a success to have the A82 included in the STPR but we are disappointed that the report does not acknowledge or reflect the huge economic benefits which would accrue to the West Highlands and Islands if we had an A82 which was fit for the 21st century. We hope to meet with our local MSP’s and with Transport Scotland in order to further emphasis the economic point and to obtain clarification on timing. At this time the emphasis would appear to be on safety improvements as opposed to reductions in journey times’ Following the highly successful 8555 signature petition presented to The Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee by the A82 Partnership in May the Petitions Committee were yesterday (Tuesday) reviewing the responses which they have received to their request for views on the petition from Police, Councils, Development Agencies etc. John Hutchison, coordinator of the A82 Partnership said, ‘The responses to the Petitions Committee confirm the concerns of the Partnership and obviously add weight to our petition. We will be recommending that the findings of the Petitions Committee be passed to the Ministers for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and the Minister for Enterprise Energy and Tourism and to the related parliamentary committees. Jamie McGrigor MSP, in a written submission to the Petitions Committee, said ‘I am very concerned that the Strategic Transport Projects Review makes no reference of the economic case for more substantial upgrading of the A82 and how its improvement will mean that the West Highlands of Scotland can contribute even more to the national economy of Scotland. Respondents to your Committee, notably Highlands & Islands Enterprise and HITRANS, refer to the relative poor performance of the West Highlands which are served by the A82. The economic case for substantial upgrading of the A82 has been well made by the petitioners and I support them in arguing that economic factors, as well as the crucial safety ones which we are all very conscious of, must be given full consideration by the Scottish Government.   WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 2008 RESPONSE TO STRATEGIC TRANSPORT PROJECT REVIEW report We note the Ministers announcement which simply confirms the Scottish Government’s intention to deliver the improvement projects already identified in the 2006 Fort William to Tarbet Route Action Plan. To this extent the A82 Partnership’s initial objectives have been achieved but we await confirmation of the timescale for completion.  We cannot allow construction to slip too far into the 2012 to 2022 period that this Review covers. Whilst the Government has accepted the arguments in respect of road safety no mention is made of the importance of reduced journey times which is the basis of the well-researched economic argument put forward by the Campaign. The economic argument has been accepted on other routes and so it is difficult to understand why the case of the A82 is not recognised.  We will continue to pursue this.   TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2008 CAMPAIGN MESSAGE IN LIGHTS The group campaigning for the upgrading of the A82 road between Glasgow and Inverness put their message up in lights on the Scottish Parliament last week. In what is believed to be a first, a laser was beamed on to the Parliament building demanding ‘A82 Upgrade Now’. The group was visiting the Scottish Parliament to ensure that their message was firmly in the minds of MSP’s as they consider the  Strategic Transport Review report (STPR). The report is due for release before the Christmas recess. Almost 40 people traveled from the West Highlands to protest outside the Parliament in Edinburgh before meeting up with 13 MSP’s at a reception within the Parliament. Representatives of the four main political parties, including Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP listened to a presentation from Alasdair Ferguson, of the A 82 Partnership, and Leah Burns, Chair of the Fort William Youth Fusion Space committee before responding with their comments on the objectives of the group. David Stewart, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP commented, ‘This was a first class lobby of the Parliament by the campaign group. The campaigners put forward a strong case for the upgrading of the A82. The advantages are clear, the economic development of the area, increased tourism and increased safety to cut the dreadful toll of deaths and injuries on this road. The MSP’s present were impressed by the campaign and, in particular. The young people’s presentation gave resonance to the need to upgrade the road for the next generation’. Leah Burns, who led the Youth committee at the Parliament, said ‘We decided to support this campaign as we felt the A82 is something that will have dramatic effects on our future and is indirectly affecting us at the moment. We wanted to go to Hollyrood to show that we have a view on the A82 and that it isn't just affecting the adults but us too and more so as we get older. We all enjoyed our time at Hollyrood and found it extremely interesting meeting with all the MP's and getting to listen to what they had to say on this issue. It was an amazing experience for us and it showed that young people do care about important issues in their communities as well as their own. BBC’s Landward programme will also be carrying the groups message in a programme to be broadcast this Friday evening (21st) The ultimate aim of the A82 Partnership is the provision of a road between Glasgow and Inverness, via Fort William, which is fit for the 21st century and which will support the economy, social life and economic development of the community of the West Highlands and Islands.     5 NOVEMBER 2008 A82 GOES TO HOLYROOD. With the imminent publication of the report which A82 campaigners hope will confirm the Scottish Governments commitment to upgrade the A82 the campaign team are once again heading to Holyrood. This time the team will include a youth delegation and other members of the Lochaber Community. Councilor Brian Murphy, who is heading up the group for the visit to Edinburgh, said ‘ It is important that we keep the requirement to upgrade the A82 in front of our MSP’s particularly as we anticipate that the Strategic Transport Review report will be issued shortly. We were delighted to be accompanied on this occasion by members of the Lochaber Youth Committee and they will present a different focus on the issue to MSP’s.’ Councilor Murphy added ‘ We are also laying on a bus for other members of the community who may wish to help us in our lobbying of MSP’s.’ The bus will leave Fort William main bus station next Wednesday (12TH ) at 10am and will allow for a few hours shopping in Edinburgh before everyone gathers at the Scottish Parliament at 16.30 pm. Anyone wishing to join the campaigners should contact Emma at Highland Council on 01397 707232 either to book their place on the bus or to register for a pass to the Scottish Parliament. The A82 Partnership are campaigning for the upgrading of the A82 from Glasgow to Inverness and are hopeful that the Strategic Transport Review report, which is due to be published this month, will include funding for the works between Tarbet and Fort William identified in the Route Action Plan.   7 OCTOBER 2008 Landslide Report reveals further weakness in West Highlands and Islands lifeline road The results of a study released this week by Transport Scotland on the landslide risks to Scotlands roads once again highlights the fragility of the road network in the West Highlands. The A82 West Highlands and Islands Corridor has been identified as having more sections of high priority landslide risk than any other trunk road in Scotland with seven sections of high priority risk covering a total length of over 25 miles. The 8 mile stretch of the A82 road along Loch Lochy is identified as the highest landslide risk of the entire Scottish road network. The report also calls for a specific assessment of sections of the A82 in Glencoe which are exposed to potential scree slope landslides. Brian Murphy, Chair of the A82 Partnership, the group demanding the upgrade of the A82 said. ‘This report identifies a further weakness in the road infrastructure on which we all depend for our economic and social lives. Upgrading work on the A82, which we hope will be approved by the Minister for Transport later this year, must take account of the results of this report and incorporate risk reduction into the upgrades.’ Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change said, ‘The results documented in the report provide us with a comprehensive picture of the future risk of landslides in Scotland and the evidence that we require to properly plan for and manage that risk, reducing as far as possible the impact on our roads and road users.’   14 JULY 2008 The pattern of the tragic loss of life and the ensuing disruption to the economic and social life of thousands of people is one which we in Lochaber have become all too familiar. Today another family is grieving as a result of an accident on the A82. An incident on this particular stretch of road results in a minimum delay / diversion of 2 to 3 hours and, in the case of travelers heading towards Glencoe, Duror, Appin and Oban, no realistic alternative route. These delays are compounded by the lack of information available to motorists and, in this particular case misinformation; with Transport Scotland advising motorist's that the road was closed between Corran Ferry and Fort William.  As well as tackling the upgrade issues the A82 Partnership are also addressing the issues of accurate information being communicated to the public during road incidents. The time may come when direct action will be the only way to get the A82 to the top of the politicians' agenda as the tragic loss of life and the economic and social disruption to the area do not appear to be important enough to the politicians.   18 JUNE 2008   A map produced by the A82 Partnership will be used to illustrate the importance of the A82 to the economic and social life of the West Highlands and Islands. The map shows the  A82 linking the Central belt in the south and Inverness in the north  to  the West Highlands and Islands. It highlights the A82 as the corridor  connecting with  the A83 to Lochgilphead , the A85 to Oban, Mull and Barra, the A830 to Mallaig and South Uist, the A87 to Skye and Harris. The map, together with a letter inviting support for the campaign, is being circulated to Councillors in Highland and Argyll and Bute and will be presented to MSP’s on the Epetitions Committee next week. The A82 Partnership will present their case for the upgrade of the A82 to MSP’s in Dumbarton next Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Group said ‘ It would be great if  local supporters could find the time to join us in Dumbarton’. The meeting will be held at 14.00hrs on Tuesday 24 June in The Burgh Hall, 17 Castle Street, Dumbarton. Following the recent traffic disruption in and around Fort William caused by roadworks the A82 Partnership is seeking a meeting with Transport Scotland in order to  discuss the issue of future road works in the immediate Fort William area and to establish a system for reporting delays and closures on the A82. Members of the public are once again reminded that they can assist the campaign by reporting any incidents on the A82 to Traffic Scotland on 0800 028 1414 or by reporting roadworks or delays to the BBC on 08000 929588  The A82 Partnership still await a meeting with the Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson, following the cancellation of a planned meeting in May.  27 MAY 2008   Representatives of the A82 Partnership, the group campaigning to ensure the upgrading of the A82, are to meet MSP’s in Dumbarton on Tuesday 24 June. The invitation to meet the MSP’s is a direct result of the hugely successful epetition which was signed by 8555 individuals and was submitted to the Scottish Parliament earlier this year. Alasdair Ferguson, who will be part of the team meeting with the MSP’s said ‘This is an excellent opportunity to get our message across to the decision makers and we are delighted to receive this invitation. It would help if individuals could write to their MSP’s expressing their concerns about the road prior to our meeting. You will get all of the information you need on our website at www.a82.org ’ It is hoped that the group will be able to present the new DVD on the A82 to each of the MSP’s Local MSP Fergus Ewing, who will be present at the meeting said ‘This hearing before the Epetitions Committee will allow the voice of the West Highlands and Islands to be heard and for the strong case for major improvements to the A82 to be made by myself and other MSPs.   I hope that it will further increase the pressure, which has already been brought, productively, to bear by the A82 campaign - and the Epetition itself.    I am in full support of the objectives for which I have campaigned as MSP for nine years now.’ Members of the A82 campaign group have been active during the recent traffic chaos in Fort William lobbying Transport Scotland, the Government Agency, and Transerv, the trunk road management company, urging them to be more responsive to the problems which are created when, even minor, roadworks disrupt the regular flow of traffic in and around Fort William. It would appear that utility companies do not require authorisation to commence work on the trunk road network and that there is no mechanism for Transerv to communicate these works to Transport Scotland. A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘We will require to look into this further and we will be seeking an urgent short term solution to reduce the disruption to traffic in and around Fort William during peak times.’ Meanwhile, the Traffic Scotland website still does not show the overnight closures planned for the Crianlarich to Tarbet section of the A82 for most of June despite the A82 Partnership having being advised of this latest disruption two weeks ago. Commenting on this lack of accurate information Councillor Brian Murphy, a member of the A82 Partnership said ‘The public can help our campaign by reporting all incidents, delays and information gaps, no matter how minor, to Traffic Scotland on 0800 028 1414. This number that should be on everyone’s mobile phone.’   20 MAY 2008 The A82 Partnership are, once again, calling on the West Highlands and Islands community to assist them in their campaign to have the A82 upgraded. Following the excellent community support, when 8555 epetition signatures were sent to the Scottish Parliament, the groups are now calling on all road users to report every incident which they see occurring on the A82 to The Transport Scotland Customer Care call centre. This could be anything from a pothole to a major accident and from damaged verges to inappropriate signage. A John Hutchinson a member of the group said ' Whilst our campaign is addressing the long term upgrading of the road we are very aware that the economic and social lives of the community are being negatively affected by the A82 right now and we do not believe that all incidents are being correctly or timeously reported. We are urging all road users to put 0800 028 1414 into their mobile phones and to call this number whenever they come across an incident or defect. We, in turn, will urge Transport Scotland to put more accurate and informative updates onto their website, Traffic Scotland (www.trafficscotland.org).' This call follows on from the reporting last week of inaccurate and unhelpful advice being issued by Traffic Scotland following the closure of the A82 for nearly 7 hours two weeks ago. As we go to press the Traffic Scotland website is still showing overnight closures of the A82 between Tyndrum and Crianlarich despite signage at Tarbet indicating that this work has been postponed until June. The epetition signatures have resulted in the A82 Partnerships petition being presented to the Scottish Parliaments Epetitions Committee on Tuesday 24 June. The group is still awaiting confirmation that they will be invited to present the petition in person. As anticipated last week the second set of traffic lights on Loch Lomond, one mile north of Inveruglas, have now been removed. Progress on Pulpit Rock improvements The A82 partnership have welcomed the news that vital investigation work is getting underway this week in advance of a major improvement scheme on  the project at Pulpit Rock which will remove the notorious bottleneck at Loch Lomond and the traffic lights which have been there for over 30 years. Duncan McCallum, Transport Scotland’s Senior Road Engineer said "The A82 is a key route in the west of Scotland and these investigations represent an essential and significant step forward in improving the trunk road at Pulpit Rock. These investigations will assist the design for the road alignment options, which will allow us to eventually remove the temporary signals that have been in place for a number of years." To allow works on the carriageway, the A82 from Crianlarich to Tarbet will close overnight (22.00 - 06.00) on June 4 - 11.  These closures will take place in conjunction with Transerv’s planned closures for essential maintenance on this section of the A82 throughout June.  Once the investigations are complete, preferred alignment options can be prepared and the design finalised. Transport Scotland will then publish statutory Land and Road Orders. The scheme construction is on target to be complete in 2011/2012, subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory process.   13 MAY 2008 Following the latest tragic death on the A82 the A82 Partnership are calling for better traffic information to be made available to the public in the inevitable event of future accidents. In the latest accident a male motorcycle rider was killed in a collision with a large goods vehicle on the A82 near the Loch Lomond Holiday Park on Loch Lomondside. The accident resulted in the A82 being closed for over 7 hours. Alasdair Ferguson for the A82 Partnership said ‘How many more lives have to be lost and how much more disruption will there be to the economic and social life of the West Highlands before we get action from the Scottish Government. In this instance not only was the road closed for more than 7 hours but the quality of information provided to travelers was unacceptable. The traffic information sign on the south side of Fort William still warned of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts at 16.00 hours and only after a phone call from the public was it amended to advise that the A82 was closed.’ The Traffic Scotland website, promoted as ‘Real time traffic information for Scotland’ and operated by the Scottish Government, showed at 18.30 hours, 7 hours after the incident, a message reading ‘all lanes closed in both directions for more than an hour’. In a further incident John Hutchison, a member of the A82 Working Group, reported that the signage east of Tyndrum caused confusion on Saturday morning when the words ‘A82 – Accident at Ardlui’ were interpreted by many travelers as a road closure. John said ‘It would have been much clearer if the sign had indicated a road restriction. We are so used to road closures following an accident that it was easy to misinterpret the words. I only knew that the road was actually open after hearing a report on the BBC and so was able to help some confused tourists at Crianlarich’. The A82 Partnership have now contacted Transport Scotland, Transerv Scotland and Strathclyde Police in order to ensure that the quality and accuracy of information will be improved following future incidents. The A82 Partnership has learnt that the A82 will again be subject to overnight closures for most of June in order to carry out tests at Pulpit Rock and to complete the works south of Crainlarich which are being postponed until June. Despite this information being available to the A82 Partnership the Traffic Scotland website is still showing overnight closures in May on the road south of Crianlarich. The traffic light restriction, following a lorry breaching the lochside wall on Loch Lomondside in April, looks set to be lifted by the end of this week (Friday 16 May). 29 APRIL 2008 The much anticipated meeting between the Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson and representatives of the A82 Partnership, the group campaigning for the upgrading of the A82 has been postponed. The A82 Partnership was extremely disappointed to learn on Monday that the Minister would be unable to meet with them in Fort William on Friday as a result of the Ministers urgent appointments concerning the current Grangemouth industrial dispute. Councillor Bren Gormley, a member of the A82 Partnership, commented:  "Although disappointing to hear of the cancellation of the Stewart Stevenson MSP visit, it is hardly surprising due to the current Grangemouth dispute.  This is a postponement not a cancellation and we look forward to meeting with the Minister in the not too distant future. The group will be urging the Minister to meet with them in Fort William as soon as possible. Meanwhile Councillors Brian Murphy and Donald Cameron took the A82 campaign to Stornoway where they met with fellow Councillors from Skye and Western Isles Councillors.  Councillor Donald Cameron  said ‘This was a subject which totally united everyone present and we received 100% backing for the campaign. It is fully recognized that the  A82 is a main arterial route for the Islands as well as the mainland.’ In another step towards influencing the politicians the A82 Partnership have commissioned the production of a 10 minute DVD from Lochaber film producers Digital Studio. A spokesperson for the partnership said ‘ We realise that all MSP’s are not familiar with the road and we appreciate that they cannot take the time to travel on the road. This way we will be taking the road to them.’ The A82 Partnership continue to urge everyone in the Western Highlands and Islands to write to or email the Transport Minister and their MSP’s giving their own views on the state of the road. A link from the website, www.a82.org, will help with names and addresses.   22 APRIL 2008 MSP says the  A82 is a National Disgrace Commenting, after a weekend when the A82 had been closed for a total of 8 hours as a result of two accidents, Fergus Ewing MSP for Inverness East Nairn and Lochaber said ‘The A82 is a national disgrace. As the local MSP I have, argued, campaigned, cajoled, wheedled and pleaded for major improvements since I was elected the Scottish Parliament in 1999.    As SNP Transport Spokesman, prior to last years elections, I argued that the Labour Liberal Executive were wrong to concentrate their investment in the central belt. I called for the Edinburgh Airport Rail link and Edinburgh trams scheme to be binned. After the elections we succeeded in having the Edinburgh Airport Rail link scrapped however, the decision to proceed with the Edinburgh Trams scheme means that the Government will have to spend hundreds of millions on a flawed scheme, money which will not now be available for other parts of the country such as the Highlands. I am pleased that Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, is to visit Lochaber on the 2nd May and I know that he is already familiar with the road and its poor state. I have lobbied strongly for major improvements to the A82 and I am determined that there should be major improvements planned for the next period of strategic transport investments in our country’. Following a meeting with representatives of the A82 Partnership, the group campaigning for the upgrading of the A82 West Highlands and Islands corridor, Mr Ewing said ‘ The campaign will succeed. I now want to see our new Scottish Government recognise the case for the A82. The 8555 signatures to the epetition is a sign of the strength of opinion on this matter.’ Recent travelers on the Loch Lomond section of the A82 will have noted a second set of traffic lights just north of Inveruglas. A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said ‘A road tanker crashed through a concrete wall on the lochside some 14days ago leaving a potentially dangerous 15 – 20 metre drop into the water at this location, hence the need to erect temporary traffic lights for safety reasons. There are logistical problems with carrying out the necessary remedial works due to the height involved, however I can confirm that Scotland TranServ have held a site meeting with a specialist subcontractor and are in the process of obtaining costs for the necessary repairs. Scotland TranServ are aware of the urgency in completing the repairs and hope to have works complete and removal of the traffic lights before the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend’. Responding to recent media claims that the A9 is the ‘deadliest stretch of road in Scotland’ a spokesperson for the A82 Partnership, who claim that the A82 is the ‘most dangerous road in Scotland’, said ‘We are not going to be drawn into an argument as to the merits of these claims. We believe that it is, in the words of Fergus Ewing MSP, a national disgrace that the two main transport arteries into the Highlands should be vying for the title of the deadliest or the most dangerous road in Scotland.’   15 April 2008   The 'missing' A82 A document produced by the Scottish Government earlier this year has excluded the A82 from its strategic road maps of Scotland. The discussion draft of the National Planning Framework document published in January shows all of the key transport routes in Scotland but fails to show any extension of the A82 West Highlands and Islands Corridor between Fort William and Inverness. The A82 Partnership, presently campaigning to have the A82 West Highlands and Islands corridor upgraded, have reacted furiously to the omission. Lochaber Provost Alan Henderson said ‘Not only have they missed of this important economic and social road link but they do not mention the importance of this  strategic corridor from Glasgow anywhere in the 113 page document. In fact they show Skye and the Western Isles being serviced from the Central Belt via Inverness. This is fundamentally wrong and The A82 Partnership will be responding accordingly. They will also be emphasising that the entire route from Glasgow to Uig is a designated ‘Trans-European route’. In their response to the discussion draft the A82 Partnership have highlighted the importance of Tourism to the West Highlands and Islands and the opportunity for growth in the tourism industry. The partnership have also asked that the A82 be added to the nationally strategic routes which give better access to rural areas. The original document only identified the A9, A96 and A77 in this category of access to rural areas. The Highland Council have already responded to the discussion draft and have drawn the absence of the A82 to the attention of the Government whilst at the same time stating that the A82 should be included in the National Planning Frame work and brought up to standard. At a meeting last Friday the Board of the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership (HITRANS) agreed to request the Government to include the A82 improvements as one of their National Developments which already includes projects such as the New Forth Bridge, 2014 Commonwealth Games Facilities and Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport enhancements. The closing date for responses to the discussion document was last Tuesday (15 April) Minister of Transport acknowledges A82 Campaign Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, who will be meeting representatives from the A82 Partnership early next month, has publicly acknowledged the concerns of  the campaigners. On a Gaelic Television programme last week he said ‘The A82 is regarded as one of the less safe roads in Scotland and it clearly has to be a priority to raise its safety levels if we are going to meet our safety targets right across Scotland for our road network.  "When I drove on it on a wet night a couple of months ago, I certainly didn't enjoy the experience and I entirely understand why people should be campaigning to make sure that the Government makes investments that will improve the road.  "The neglect of the A82 and many other roads across Scotland over many years is quite unacceptable and it's a terrific challenge to address.’ The A82 Partnership welcomed this public statement from the Transport Minister and said that it was an excellent starting point for their forthcoming meeting. Representatives of the A82 Partnership are meeting Fergus Ewing MSP this Friday (18th April) 8 April 2008   The A82 Epetition closed on Saturday with 8555 supporters having signed up to demand an upgrading of the most dangerous road in Scotland. The epetition had run for less than one month. The figure of 8555 is more than double the previous most successful epetition which took 5 months to reach a figure of 4187 signatures. Councillor Brian Murphy, chair of the A82 Partnership said ‘Once again the people of the West Highlands and Islands have shown that when we work together towards a common goal we are a formidable force to contend with. I believe the overwhelming support for the epetition demonstrates the extent of the simmering anger and resentment which is felt throughout the region about the A82. We have been silent for far too long, but that silence is now in the past. We are determined that the fight will continue until we have a road which is fit for purpose. The A82 Campaign has only just begun’. A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘ The success of the epetition could not have been achieved without the support of the local media. The campaign has been supported by both local radio and press and we look forward to working with them as the campaign enters its next phase’. Following the outstanding success of the A82 campaign epetition the A82 Partnership are now urging supporters to write to or to email their MSP’s. The www.a82.org website now gives full information on mailing and emailing addresses of MSP’s together with suggestions of the points which supporters may wish to raise. Councillor Murphy added ‘It is important that we continue to keep up the pressure on our MSP's as they will soon be deciding which Scottish Transport projects they will support for the period 2012 to 2022.’ The Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, has agreed to meet with representatives from the A82 Partnership in Fort William on Friday 2 May. Campaigners hope that Mr Stevenson will arrive in Fort William having traveled up the A82 from Glasgow. 1 April 2008   Questions in Parliament Questions on the upgrading of the A82 will be posed in the Scottish Parliament by MSP’s from all major parties over the next few weeks. In the first of these questions Jamie McGrigor MSP asked for confirmation that the works at Pulpit Rock, Crianlarich, Inveruglas and Inverarnan, promised in April 2006, were still on schedule. This question referred to a statement made in April 2006 by the then Transport Minister, Tavish Scott, when he gave the green light to a £16 million improvement package and indicated that the work would be delivered over the next five years. Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson, in his response, indicated that the works at Pulpit Rock and Crianlarich would be delivered by 2012 but the schemes for Inveruglas and Inverarnan would be taken forward within a 4 year timescale and construction would be subject to the availability of finance at that time. A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said, ‘Whilst we welcome the continued commitment to the Pulpit Rock and Crianlarich improvements we will be following up with Mr Stevenson the apparent time slippage and the question over funding on the other agreed improvements.’ The Transport Minister is due to meet with representatives of the campaign group in Fort William at the beginning of May. The Minister will be told of the importance of the A82 West Highlands and Islands Corridor to the economy and to the social life of the people of the Highlands and Islands and to the urgency attached to upgrading of this life line by the community. Western Isles Councillors meeting in Stornoway at the end of this month will be briefed on the strategy and progress of the campaign and will be urged to register their support. Meanwhile A82 campaigners took their case to the Labour Party conference in Aviemore last weekend and were met with a particularly informed and supportive audience. One of the group attending the conference said ‘I was delighted to see that our campaign is now widely recognized and is striking a cord with MSP’s and Labour Party activists.’ The online epetition is now heading towards a figure of 8000 signatures but was hit by a technical hitch at the Scottish Parliaments website mid afternoon on Tuesday. The epetition closes on Friday 4 April and supporters are being urged to sign up before the deadline on Friday. Signatures can be added by going to www.a82.org and following the links. March 08   Monday 10 March 2008   Campaign Launched to Win Upgrade of Scotland’s Most Dangerous Road   A major campaign was launched today (Monday) to win improvements on one of the most scenic but dangerous stretches of trunk road in the United Kingdom. The A82 Tarbet – Fort William - Inverness road is famous for passing the landmark destinations of Loch Lomond, Loch Rannoch, Glencoe, Ben Nevis and Loch Ness.   But it is also infamous for its disturbing number of fatalities, injuries and incidents.   The longer-term aim of the campaign is to achieve an upgrade of sections over the entire stretch from Tarbet to Inverness.  However, the immediate target of the A82 Partnership is to win funds to improve the four most dangerous stretches of the road between Tarbet and Fort William that have already been identified by Transport Scotland at a total cost of £90M.   Transport Scotland is carrying out a Strategic Review of the entire Scottish transport programme at present. The aim of the campaign is to secure the commitment of the Scottish Government to regard the upgrade of the A82 between Fort William and Tarbet as a top priority and make sure that all the work included in the £90M appears in the final programme.   At the launch at Inverarnan, 7 miles south of Crianlarich, Campaign Head, Alasdair Ferguson, Managing Director of Ferguson Transport (Spean Bridge) Ltd, whose vehicles use the road on a daily basis, said that the lifeline link to the West Highlands and Islands is the most dangerous road in Scotland.   He added: “The A82 is narrow and tortuous and in a number of areas is in such a state that I have grave concerns for the safety of our drivers and others who use the road daily. Our vehicles experience more damage and wear and tear on this road than any other road in the country.  The road is a disgrace. It is a nightmare for foreign drivers, who do not expect to have to travel on a trunk road that is so narrow that two vehicles cannot pass in some places or, if they try to keep inside the centre line, they run the high risk of going on their sides due to the soft verges or hitting rocks on Loch Lomond side.”   Mr Ferguson’s company was the Highlands and Islands Business of the Year in 2006 and employs over 100 staff, who travel 3,000,000 miles a year.   Mr Ferguson said a meeting with Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson was essential to highlight the strength of support for the campaign.   He said he was delighted with the support received from across political parties, businesses, local councillors in Argyll and Bute and Highland, the chambers of commerce and community councils.   Chief Inspector John Chisholm, Northern Constabulary, revealed that between January 2005 and the end of 2007 there were 22 fatalities and over 450 injuries on the A 82 between Tarbet and Inverness.  As well as accidents, there are a large number of other incidents that the Police deal with on a daily basis on the A82. In Lochaber alone, from 2005 to 2007, there were 3,000 recorded incidents on the A82. These range from routine enforcement work to responding to calls about weather conditions, road hazards, complaints about driver behaviour. Anything can result in a road closure, for example the recovery of damaged vehicles following a collision, trees blown across the carriageway or relatively minor accidents which do not cause injury but result in serious damage to vehicles or property.    Chief Inspector Chisholm said: “The loss of life and serious injury on this road is of the utmost concern to the police service and indeed the community through which the route passes.  The grief suffered by relatives of those involved in collisions, together with the inevitable frustration that follows road closures is a regular feature endured by road users on the A82.  Police enforcement activity is one element of a raft of measures, including engineered solutions, which can improve safety on this road.”   Mrs Eileen Webster, a carer and former nurse from North Ballachulish, is one of those drivers seriously injured on the A82.  She was travelling to work in Fort William at 7.45 am on 12 March last year when, between Corran Ferry and the Loch Linnhe picnic area, her car skidded, crossed the carriageway, flipped on an embankment and ended on its roof. No other car was involved.   Mrs Webster was able to crawl out of the car with the support of passers by before being taken to hospital in Fort William.  There, a scan revealed neck damage and she was airlifted to Glasgow Southern General Hospital where a fracture and two partially dislocated vertebrae were identified. Eileen spent 10 days in hospital and still suffers stiffness in her neck but is now back at work.   She said: “I feel that something has to be done to highlight the dangers of the A 82 road and I am 100% behind the aims of the campaign.   I travelled to and from Glasgow during my recovery and know every bump and twist on this awful road.   “I am an experienced motorist who knows the road well enough to drive at a sensible speed and yet it happened to me.  I see many motorists driving too fast and others who are clearly frustrated at being held up on the twisting and tortuous road with so few overtaking opportunities.  Visitors just don’t know the dangers on this stretch of road.”   Councillor Duncan Macintyre, Argyll and Bute Council and Chair of HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership, said: “HITRANS has identified the importance of the A82 to the economy of the area and the constraints that the atrocious condition of major sections imposes on the ability of this region to grow. We look to the government to deliver fair, equal and long overdue improvements, that will help them achieve their national growth targets.”   Councillor Hamish Fraser, Skye, Chairman of the Highlands & Islands Region of the Federation of Small Businesses said: “The poor condition of the A82 is a major constraint on economic development in Skye and the West Highlands. With no air links to the area and a very limited rail network, all forms of transportation are restricted by a very poor road link with the central belt. An upgrade of the A82 would substantially improve our ability to exchange goods and services with the rest of the UK and beyond. An area that relies so heavily on tourism, and attracts so many visitors to Scotland, needs and deserves something a whole lot better than a second class road link.”   Councillor John Laing, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: “I am delighted to support the action to highlight the need for improvements to the A82, which is as significant for the West Coast as the A9 is for the East Coast.”   Councillor Brian Murphy, Highland Council and Chairman of the A82 Partnership, said: “This dangerous lifeline road has been starved of investment for far too long. We need the people of the West Highlands and Islands to take action now, to sign the e-petition for the Parliament, display the car stickers, write letters to local and national newspapers, and especially to write to our MSPs and lobby them at their surgeries. Please stay in touch with the Campaign through www.A82.org.”   -ends-   Background Information   The projects that have been identified in Transport Scotland’s Route Action Plan are: -   Loch Lomondside: This is considered the worst stretch of road due to its tortuous alignment, restricted width, flooding, queues at Pulpit Rock traffic signals, narrow bridges, and very restricted opportunities for overtaking.  The estimated cost of providing 14.8 km of new carriageway, including a tunnel at Pulpit Rock is £54.0M.   Crianlarich Village By-pass: Construct 1 km of 7.3 km wide carriageway to by-pass the village.  Estimated cost £4.4M.   Achalader Brae – Loch Tulla: By-pass listed bridge with new bridge and 3 km of new road. Climbing lane. Estimated cost £14.3M.   Fort William – Corran: Widen carriageway to 7.3 m for sections totalling 4km of a 14km stretch of road between where there is poor alignment, restricted visibility, limited overtaking, narrow width. Preparation for future work. Estimated cost is £12.20M.   A further £5.1M is allocated for safety and lay-by improvements, minor widening and picnic areas along the entire length.   The total cost of the above is £90M of which a budget for only £16M has been identified so far in the period up to 2012.  The aim of the Campaign is to make sure that the entire £90M is included in the Scottish road construction programme that will cover the period from now to 2022.   An Economic Appraisal was carried out in September 2005 by TRIBAL HCH for HITRANS.  This concluded that the total additional income and employment which could be created in Scotland as the result of significant upgrading of the A82, derives from the benefit to existing businesses in the study area of the West Highlands and Islands. The central case forecast shows additional income to the study area over 2010-2039 of £313 million (discounted). Hence investment is forecast to yield substantial economic benefits to the Scottish economy and the Scottish Government’s target GDP growth rate.   6 March 2008 April 2007   PRESS RELEASE   THE A82 PARTNERSHIP   ----- Motorisits on the A82 will once again face the inconvenience of diversions and delays as Transport Scotland announce the overnight closure of the road between Ardlui and Tarbet for the next three weeks. Work will start next Monday (16th April) and continue through until Friday 4th May. The road will be closed from 10pm untill 6am on weekdays. During the day traffic lights will  be operating on various sections of the road. A spokesman for The A82 Partenership said ' Although we await full details of the work being undertaken we understand that this will involve road resurfacing in the area of Pulpit Rock and the repair of the recent 'localised road failure' one mile north of Inveruglas. This should result in the removal of the second set of temporary traffic lights which have been there for the last few months and the removal of the 20mph restrictions around Pulpit Rock.' The 'temporary' traffic lights at Pulpit Rock recently 'celebrated' their 31 st birthday and the traffic lights at Glencoe Gorge have only recently been removed after being operational there for 24 months The A82 Partnership are urging the public to challenge individual candidates and political parties to clearly set out  their committment to the urgent upgrading of the A82 in the run up to the elections in May. Although a £16 million package of improvements have been approved there remains, based on a recent report, a requirement for a further expenditure of £74 million on the road. January 2007   PRESS RELEASE  A82 PARTNERSHIP  MORE DELAYS ON THE A82  Completion of the work presently being undertaken to replace the bridge at Glen Coe has again been delayed with Transport Scotland now advising that the earliest date for the removal of the traffic lights will be the end of February. This work, which was started in April 2005 and was originally scheduled to be completed by end June last year, has been subject to numerous delays. This latest announcement comes within weeks of Transport Scotland advising that the work would be completed by the end of January. The wet weather has been blamed for the recent delays and the end February completion date is subject to there being no further adverse weather conditions.   Further down the A82 a second set of traffic lights have been installed on Loch Lomond side to complement the set of 30 year old ‘temporary’ lights at Pulpit Rock. This latest set of lights is as a result of a ‘localised road failure’ caused, it is understood, by the recent high levels of water in Loch Lomond.  Dave Petrie Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands said ‘The second set of traffic lights has clearly illustrated the need for immediate action on the A82 If emergency repairs are not carried out the road could be lost completely. This critical situation has been ignored by the Lib/Lab Executive for far too long. By importing material on the loch side stabilisation and widening could take place at the same time. Funding for emergency works must be made available immediately otherwise we are going to be faced with further emergency closures to this vital artery to the West Highlands and Islands.  A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘The road between Tarbet and Inverarnan is deteriorating daily and this latest ‘localised road failure’ reminds us of a similar incident some 30 years ago which still awaits repair. During recent severe weather the road resembled a river bed. Whilst we acknowledge that the strategic projects at Pulpit Rock and Crainlarich are progressing we are urging the politicians to support an immediate start to the £50 million of works identified in the Route Action Plan for this section of the A82.’   The public consultation document issued recently by the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) calls for all of the works between Tarbet and Inverarnan to be completed by 2012. This strategy document is due to be submitted to Scottish Ministers by the end of March and will form part of the National Strategic Projects Review.   Jim Mathers SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands said ‘I believe that we should all be grateful to local campaigners for keeping the focus on the A82 and exposing the inadequacy of its condition and the lack of urgency to provide an adequate and lasting solution. Their work and the subsequent coverage by the Highland media have made it easier for me and my colleagues to draw the attention of Ministers to the matter and start to inject a sense of urgency.  It's way beyond time that this should be addressed. Rhetoric is no substitute for action. We now need a Highlands and Islands transport system capable of progressively boosting the Highland economy.’ For further information contact  Stewart Maclean Coordinator A82 Partnership 07836 608 089 November 2006           THE A82 PARTNERSHIP   PRESS RELEASE   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   CRIANLARICH BYPASS CONSULTATION   Reduced journey times between Fort William (and Oban) and the south took a step nearer this week when the proposed route of the Crianlarich bypass was published.   Carl Bro, the design consultants appointed earlier this year by Transport Scotland, are proposing that the new road will bypass Crianlarich to the west side of the village and will be a single carriageway of just under one kilometre. This is the route originally proposed in studies which took place in the early 1990’s.   Transport Scotland is now inviting comments on the new road.   Meantime, Scott Wilson, the consultants appointed to propose improvements at Pulpit Rock, where the notorious traffic lights are located, continue to establish what studies and investigations are required to ensure that work will start on this section of road in 2009. It is understood that consideration will be given to the construction of a tunnel to remove this notorious bottleneck.   These road improvements are part of the £16 million A82 road works package announced by the Minister of Transport earlier this year.   It is anticipated that draft orders for both schemes will be published in 2007.   Also included in the Ministers £16 million announcement were other proposed A82 road improvements to be undertaken by Scotland Transerv. A spokesman for Transport Scotland commenting on this work said ‘The Road Safety and Restricted Carriageway Width reports are now complete and are being reviewed. And whilst we still await the report on Lay-bys and Picnic Areas  the Route Accident Reduction plan recommendations are being implemented.’     A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘We continue to monitor the commitment made by the Minister of Transport in April this year in order to ensure that these projects are implemented within the projected timetable. We are asking all political parties to ensure that the further £74 million required to carry out all of the recommendations in the A82 Route Action Plan are included in their manifestos for the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. All local candidates can be assured that we will be seeking their commitment to an A82 which is developed to modern standard and provides a reliable journey time.’     Stewart Maclean Coordinator The A82 Partnership 07836 608 089 August 2006               THE A82 PARTNERSHIP   PRESS RELEASE   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   CONSULTANTS APPOINTED     Transport Scotland have this week confirmed the appointment of consultants to take forward the planning of the A82 road improvements at Pulpit Rock and the bypass at Crianlarich.   The consultants have been appointed following the approval, in April, of £16 million funding by the Minister of Transport for upgrading work on the A82.   Scot Wilson,  the company who produced the Route Action Plan for the A82 at the beginning of this year, have been appointed to prepare proposals and a programme for the removal of the traffic lights at Pulpit Rock on Loch Lomond side. Consideration will be given to the construction of a tunnel to remove this notorious bottleneck. The consultants appointed to carry out the preparatory work for the Crianlarich bypass are Carl Bro. They previously carried out design work on the bypass ten years ago but the project was abandoned at that time. They are presently reviewing archive files and these will be updated to reflect recent legislation, particularly in relation to the environment.   A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said ‘We hope that draft orders for both schemes will be published in 2007 and we will then be in a better position to provide a programme and timescale.’ Previous indications were that work would start at Pulpit Rock in 2009 and on the Crianlarich bypass in 2010.   Meanwhile Scotland Transerv, who will be responsible for implementing the numerous road safety, lay by, rest areas and width restriction issues on the A82, are due to report to Transport Scotland at the end of this month with their proposals and timetable.       A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘We welcome these appointments and the commitment to these specific projects but we will continue to lobby the politicians to ensure that the further £74 million required to carry out all of the recommendations in the Route Action Plan is approved. In particular we are seeking early approval for the £50 million required to bring the Tarbet to Inverarnan section up to an acceptable standard. The 2007 Scottish Parliament elections are coming at a very opportune time for us and we will be seeking assurances from political parties and from candidates in relation to their commitment to upgrading the A82’     Stewart Maclean Coordinator The A82 Partnership 07836 608 089 25 May 2006   THE A82 PARTNERSHIP   PRESS RELEASE   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   A82 Improvements a step nearer   Following the announcement last month by Tavish Scott, the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications, of a £16 million investment on the A82 between Tarbet and Fort William recent discussions with Transport Scotland and Scotland Transerv indicate that the various announced improvements are moving into the planning stages.   A spokesperson for The A82 Partnership advised that Transport Scotland plan to appoint consultants for both the Pulpit Rock work and the Crianlarich Bypass by the end of 2006 with construction starting in 2009, in the case of Pulpit Rock, and 2010 on the Crianlarich Bypass.   The planned timetable would see the ‘temporary’ traffic lights at Pulpit Rock celebrating their 32nd Birthday but not their 33rd!   The work involved in the fifty five proposed improvements to road safety, lay by’s, carriageway widths and rest areas have been delegated to Scotland Transerv, the company recently appointed to carry out trunk road maintenance and management in the North West of Scotland. A spokesperson for Scotland Transerv indicated that detailed reports, including prioritisation of the various improvements, would be completed by the autumn with a number of the works being carried out by April 2007.   The A82 Partnership will continue to work with all interested parties to ensure that the balance of the £90 million investment, recommended in the A82 Route Action Plan published recently, will be incorporated into the longer term investment plans of the Scottish Executive. This investment includes £50 million of work along the notorious stretch of road between Tarbet and Inverarnan.   A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘We have been encouraging the Minister, for some time  to experience the A82 at first hand and we are pleased to note that earlier this week he travelled up Loch Lomond to Crianlarich and on Thursday he will travel on the road from Crianlarich to Fort William on his way to view recent works on the Caledonian Canal  ’     D Stewart Maclean Coordinator The A82 Partnership www.a82.org 07836 608 089   Note to Press Tavish Scott, The Minister for Transport and Telecommunications will be at Corpach on Friday morning , 26 May 2006. The A82 Partnership request that the Minister be questioned on his views on the condition of the A82, particularly between Tarbet and Inverarnan, after his recent first hand experience     19 April 2006   THE A82 PARTNERSHIP   PRESS RELEASE For Immediate use   The A82 Partnership welcome the announcement by the Minister of Transport of a £16 million investment in improvements for the A82 and see this as a first step in the implementation of the £90 million Route Action Plan recommendations which have now been issued. The removal of the 30 year old traffic lights will be welcomed by the people of Lochaber who regularly travel up and down Loch Lomond side and the bypassing of Crianlarich will remove another bottleneck. The timescale of delivering this work within five years is considered both realistic and acceptable. The A82 Partnershiip will contine to work with HITRANS to ensure that the balance of the work recommended, some £74 million, will be a top priority for the Highlands and will be included in the Strategic Projects Review which will look at transport routes throughout Scotland and which is due for publication next year. We look forward to witnessing the commencement of the planned works and will monitor progress.     30 March 06   THE A82 PARTNERSHIP     PRESS RELEASE     Embargoed until 00.01 hrs on Thursday 30 March 2006.     Call to publish A82 Route Action Plan   Following the successful 30th Birthday Party for the traffic lights on Loch Lomond  The A82 Partnership are now calling on the Transport and Telecommunications Minister, Tavish Scott to publish the A82 Route Action Plan. Transport Scotland, the new national transport agency for Scotland, have confirmed that the plan, together with their recommendations, was passed to the Minister in the middle of March. The plan, which will address the immediate safety and operational concerns along the route and assess its medium to long-term investment needs had been due to be published by the end of 2005. A spokesperson for the A82 Partnership said ‘Not only has there been a delay in publishing the plan but the delay is now affecting ongoing maintenance works as engineers are unsure of the details of the Route Action Plan.’   A Scottish Executive spokesperson said: “ The Route Action Plan for the A82 has been submitted to the Minister for Transport, and will be published once the Minister has fully considered the important issues it raises.”   Jim Mather, SNP, MSP for the Highlands and Islands has confirmed that he will be asking the Minister for the early publication of the plan. Mr Mather commented ‘The road is unbelievable. There are people frightened to use it during wintertime. It puts off businesses and tourists.’    A delay has also been announced in the date for completion of the works presently being undertaken to replace the bridge at Glencoe Gorge. The works which were planned to be completed in June 2006 are now forecast to be completed by November 2006.   The 30th Birthday party of the traffic lights on Loch Lomond was attended by local and national politicians together with members of the public from Fort William and Ardlui and national media. Councillor Brian Murphy, Chairman of the Lochaber Transport Forum, who attended the party said ‘The response from motorists we spoke to was overwhelmingly supportive with the deepest safety concerns being expressed by motorists who regularly have to tackle this ‘goat track’. Observing the road at close hand, as we did on Friday, was particularly informative as we could see the rough, potholed surface and observe the difficulties experienced by large vehicles negotiating the corners.’   Commenting on the traffic lights chief executive of Lochaber Enterprise Charlotte Wright, said: "The A82 is the main conduit for traffic heading to Lochaber as well as North Argyll, Skye and the Western Isles. We continue to campaign for its long overdue upgrade, particularly as it is identified as a priority by the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership.."The circumstances surrounding the continued presence of these lights is symptomatic of the urgent need for the Scottish Executive to press ahead with major investment in this vital route for Scotland's west coast."   An economic analysis has estimated improvements to the road would generate additional income of £463m for the area between 2019 and 2039 and create 1000 sustainable jobs by 2019           Stewart Maclean Coordinator The A82 Partnership Queen Anne House High Street Fort William PH33 6DG 07836 608 089                   Media Notes.   See www.a82.org for details of The A82 Partnership   See www.trafficscotland.org for details of roadworks   See www.transportscotland.gov.uk for Transport Scotland and details of the A82 Route Action Plan and Glencoe Gorge bridge replacement   30 Yeasr of STOP... GO   THE A82 PARTNERSHIP     PRESS RELEASE     Embargoed until 00.01 hrs on Thursday 23 March 2006.     30 Years of STOP …. GO     Drivers waiting at the ‘temporary’ traffic lights on Loch Lomond side on Friday (24 March) will be handed a piece of  birthday cake in a bid by The A82 Partnership to mark the 30th anniversary of the installation of the temporary lights and to highlight the lack of any work on this section of road over the last 30 years. The A82 Partnership is an umbrella group of businesses, individuals, organisations and government agencies working to ensure the upgrading of the A82 between Balloch and Inverness.   The traffic lights were installed as a temporary measure in the mid 70’s to facilitate one way traffic flow following the subsidence of part of the road into Loch Lomond. They now appear to have become a permanent fixture and are a constant reminder to the people of the West Highlands of the lack of investment in their economic and social life line to the south.   Councillor Charlie King, chairman of HITRANS, said ‘It is a disgrace that not only has nothing been done for the last 30 years but there are no plans for the foreseeable future’   A spokesperson for The A82 Partnership said ‘It beggars belief that these temporary traffic lights have now been in existence for some 30 years and no attempt has been made to rectify the situation. When a beam collapses in the new Scottish Parliament building no expense is spared to ensure the safety of the MSP’s but no one seems to be concerned about the safety or wellbeing of travellers on the this main trunk road to and from the West of Scotland.’    The Scottish Parliament’s Transport and Telecommunications Minister, Tavish Scott has been invited to attend the ceremony.   The A82 road was closed between Tarbet and Crianlarich for 2 days last week due to debris from trees landing on the road following a heavy snow fall. Many drivers were faced with long, time consuming delays and diversions and many businesses were disrupted. Drivers who ignored the closure notices and drove through the barriers found little evidence of debris or clearing work..   A Route Action Plan for the A82 which was due for publication last October is still awaited. Transport Scotland, the new national transport agency for Scotland, have not returned calls requesting information on the Route Action Plan. The only work on the 147 miles of the A82 from Balloch to Inverness presently included by Transport Scotland on their website is the replacement of the bridge at Glencoe Gorge.   Fergus Ewing MSP said ‘The A82 is a national embarrassment and the traffic lights are a very visible symbol of this situation. Over the last 6 years the Labour/ Liberal government have kept these lights at red and unless there is a radical change in mindset my fear is that the lights will not only ‘celebrate’ 30 years but they will achieve their golden anniversary’ .   Stewart Maclean Coordinator The A82 Partnership Queen Anne House High Street Fort William PH33 6DG 07836 608 089     Media Notes.   See www.a82.org for details of The A82 Partnership   See www.hitrans.org.uk for details of HITRANS (The Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership)   See www.transportscotland.gov.uk for Transport Scotland   Members of the public and media representatives should gather at the Ardlui Hotel, just north of the traffic lights, at 11.00 hrs on Friday 24 March 2006.        The A82 Partnership Objective ‘To ensure that the A82 trunk road is developed to a modern standard which provides a reliable journey time’