Meeting minutes - 6 May 2025 - A9 Safety Group

Attendees

• Stuart Wilson – Transport Scotland – Roads Operations
• Morag MacKay - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations
• Vince Tair - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations
• Graeme Paget - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations (TEAMS)
• Stuart Baird – Transport Scotland – Major Projects (TEAMS)
• David McKenzie - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations
• Michelle Van der stighelen - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations
• Nicola Clark - Transport Scotland – Roads Operations TEAMS – Minutes)
• Ch Insp Richard Ross – Police Scotland – North Command
• Insp Donnie MacKinnon – Police Scotland – North Command
• Eric Dunion - Safety Cameras Scotland 
• Martin Reid - Road Haulage Association
• Daryl McKeown - Perth & Kinross Council
• Blair Watt – Perth & Kinross Council
• Kevin McKechnie – BEAR Scotland
• Stuart Geddes – BEAR Scotland
• Evan Ferguson – AMEY North East (TEAMS)
• Lisa Mackellaich – The Highland Council (TEAMS)
• Stewart Mackie – IAM Roadsmart (TEAMS)
• Colin Simpson – Cairngorms National Park Authority (TEAMS)

Apologies

• Michael McDonnell – Road Safety Scotland
• Insp Hugh Niccolls – Police Scotland – TS Liaison
• Alexandra Herdman – Logistics UK
• Mike Duncan – Federation of Small Businesses
• Michael Grant – Safety Cameras Scotland
• Grant Campbell – Prosper Scotland

Other group members

• David Buick – Stagecoach
• Paul White – Confederation for Passenger Transport

Welcome and Introductions

Stuart Wilson welcomed those in attendance.

Update on safety performance

Stuart Wilson gave a brief overview with further update from Donnie MacKinnon, Police Scotland:

Noted no fatal collisions recorded so far on A9 in 2025. 10 fatal collisions recorded in 2024. Of the 10 incidents for the previous calendar year (6 were on single carriageway and 4 on dual carriageway). Impairment and distraction have been significant issues with accidents. Work being done to try and address issues. “Tailgating” appears to be an emerging issue.

Noted 2 Road Deaths on A9 since the group last met. Causation factors include “fatal five”.

• 19 Nov near Ballinluig (4 vehicles – 1 HGV)
• 20 Dec – Inshes junction, Inverness – (single vehicle)

Full circumstances of these incidents are still under review.

Impairment and distraction have been significant issues with accidents with the “fatal 5” still featuring. Work being done to try and address issues.

Unmarked and marked motorcyclists are being deployed / road checks / working with community policing to try to show more visibility on A9 to address issues.

2,400 vehicles have been stopped on the A9 – eg: 9 drink driving, 34 drug driving, 10 dangerous driving, 45 careless driving, 101 speeding offences and 43 no insurance. 

Proactive days of engagement being implemented with foreign nationals and car hire companies to try and address collisions caused by foreign drivers and those driving rented vehicles. Putting the message on various social media platforms also. Focus on visitor management.

Professional drivers (coach drivers and HGVs) are being engaged with to try to address issues with them.

Update on short term measures

Road Safety Scotland – Stuart Wilson

Funding for this year is still awaiting approval. A record £36 million was spent last year on road safety with plans for this to increase to £48 million this year.

Campaigns are scheduled for young people, older people and, speed, drink and drug driving, distraction (mobile phone use) and drive on the left. Also hoping to do a seatbelt campaign, fatigue. School activities are continuing.

Events – motorcycle show, annual seminar, young people seminar; Scottish learning festival.

Stuart Geddes – BEAR Scotland (NW)

An update on progress on the engineering short term measures between Perth and Inverness was provided which can be summarised as follows:

Noted works have been on time and on budget with the commitments made by Jenny Gilruth MSP in 2022 with only a small number locations still to be completed:

• enhancements to road markings on single carriageway sections (all 7 sections complete)
• junction enhancements including solar road studs and red road surface (14 sections complete and 1 in progress)
• upgraded signs at transitions between single and dual carriageway (11 sections complete and 1 in progress)
• improved road markings at transitions between single and dual carriageway (10 sections complete and 2 in progress)
• additional “two way traffic” signs at one minute intervals on single carriageway sections (all 7 sections complete)
• directional arrow road markings on single carriageway sections (all 7 sections complete)
• HGV speed limit signs (all 7 sections complete)

Group members noted the significant improvements at Pitlochry.

Noted there has been a change in the type of accidents from fatigue and road layout.

Temporary VMS signage has been installed again at 7 locations to display road safety messaging such as Essential messages are already available for “don’t drive tired”; “don’t use your mobile phone”; “drive on the left” etc but can be adjusted to whatever suits.

Tailgating will be considered to incorporate some messaging to address this or with chevron markings (“maintain a safe distance”) given the earlier comments.

A progress report on short term measures was created in October and a spring version of this will be created and circulated with the group soon.

Route Updates

Kevin McKechnie – BEAR Scotland (NW)

Provided an overview of the numerous road safety schemes on the route in addition to the short term measures.

A9 Perth to Inverness

• A9 Ralia Junction – Extended VRS scheme is programmed to be installed in June to prevent vehicles leaving the road and travelling down the exposed embankment at the junction;
• A9 Sir Walter Scott Drive Junction, Inshes – junction improvements including directional signing and marker posts and solar powered bollards are currently being designed with improvements to follow in summer 2025;
• Speed camera relocation to A9 Dalguise junction - BEAR Scotland to provide appropriate signing to support work of Safety Cameras Scotland and Transport Scotland Major Projects Team; and,
• House of Bruar - police observation platform to be removed following concerns from local residents that had observed inappropriate turning manoeuvres.

A9 Inverness to Scrabster

• A9 20mph schemes introduced in Highland Council area, including locations such as Golspie, Brora, Helmsdale and Thurso. Further measures to progress including additional traffic calming road markings and electronic Speed Indication Devices have been installed. Monitoring vehicle speeds will be used to assess the success of the implemented measures;
• A9/A835 Tore Roundabout. Proposed speed limit reduction to 40mph at circulatory and approaches. Speed limit proposals advertised with some objections received. Further options to improve facilities for NMUs being developed. Consideration of traffic signals to be installed;
• A9 Skiach Junction. Installation of new passively safe street lighting system – planned May 2025 with alterations to traffic islands planned to commence immediately after; and,
• A9 Deephaven Junction. Extensive vegetation clearance completed winter 2024. Installation of street lighting to improve road safety and benefit safer active travel.

Stuart Wilson

Advised on Invergordon junction – TS are working with Highland council to address issues here.

Noted 20mph project has committed to implementing these by the end of this calendar year. Work is ongoing and on track to deliver at least temporary orders for all required locations.

Capturing learning from Wales’s experience with the implementation of 20mph.

Evan Ferguson – AMEY (Dunblane to Perth)

Amey is responsible for the A9 between Keir (near Dunblane) and Perth at Inveralmond.

Keir Roundabout is the main area of interest – conflict study is due to commence here. A report will be available from this later in the year.

Social factors and behaviours were noted again at this location (drink/ drug / distracted drivers) – what is being done to address this.

Auchterarder – closing central reserve gap – need to explore this issue further.

Updates from group members

Perth and Kinross Council – Daryl McKeown

In conjunction with House of Bruar will be bringing down speed limit and road safety improvements of a signage review and revisions of the signage on the local authority road. BEAR will liaise on this issue to help with this.

Cairngorms National Park Authority - Colin Simpson

Noted consultations are being carried out for Active Travel Routes. Noted the 20mph locations will create new opportunities for this and made positive comment on the benefits brought about by the reduced limits.

Transport Scotland – Network Maintenance - Graeme Paget

Asked re: House of Bruar – will the 20mph come in with any physical measures and pedestrian facilities? Noted footways on the road to be looked at; dropped kerbs (there is an agreement in principal to construct a footway but this is for next financial year) – no controlled crossing facility is planned either but the site will continue to be monitored. Noted the pedestrian behaviour is poor here.

The Highland Council - Lisa MacKellaich

Noted 20mph has dominated activity but the consultation phase is now complete. Final order will have 600 km (127 settlements) Members wanted to wait for singing and lining approvement – lining contract has been awarded. Works will become visible through early summer. Noted cannot add anything now. Can only take out.

Also looking at improving infrastructure along the side roads of A9.

PRIME marking locations have gone to engineering team for implementation.

A9 Dualling update

Major Projects – Stuart Baird

Progress noted at Tomatin to Moy wheremain construction work commenced last week.) Temporary traffic lights are in place 24/7 for two weeks at Dalmagarry where a short length of burn is being diverted. It was noted that the project is covered by the TASCAR speed camera system.

Stuart noted the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project, which is the next to be delivered, is progressing and is currently in the procurement stage.

Last week saw the publication of the Prior Information Notice (PIN) for the Pitlochry to Killiecrankie scheme which is due to commence on site in late 2026. The PIN notice alerts the market that procurement for the scheme is upcoming.

Statutory processes are now complete for 10 of the 11 sections to be dualled.

Any other business

Stuart Wilson

Noted correspondence received from a member of the public regarding speed limit signing (60 roundels) north of Inverness where this limit does not apply to all vehicle classes. After confirming that national speed limit applies via legislation, Transport Scotland intend reviewing the location of these signs and planning their removal. The correct signing is the national speed limit sign. The group agreed to this approach to avoid confusion particularly with in vehicle technology recognising speed limit signs.

Other routes may also be affected.

Michelle Van der stighelen

Advised the Safety Camera Team are looking at deploying a trial of technology on the A9 which is capable of enforcing distracted driver (mobile phone) and non-seatbelt wearing. This will be for evaluation purposes at this stage.

Actions arising

Nil