THE South Scotland MSP whose campaign secured a Transport Summit for Dumfries and Galloway has written to the Scottish Government’s Transport Minister following her latest meeting with young local transport activists behind a fight to dual the A75.
Joan McAlpine, sent the letter to Humza Yousaf to share her constituents’ priorities ahead of updates to the national transport strategy. The minister visited Springholm and Crocketford on Wednesday to speak to local campaigners who want to see a bypass built and help to slow down passing vehicles. He suggested new traffic signals could offer a short-term solution to safety concerns in the two villages on the A75.
McAlpine said: “I met with the group this week to identify priorities we can get on this transport strategy and I feel I have been working very, very constructively with them and have a really good relationship. My priority would be dualling the road between Dumfries and Gretna because it’s the busiest part of the route.
“Up until Brexit we were trying to get the south of Scotland identified as a particular statistical area for European purposes which would have allowed us to be eligible for EU funding.
“It had been approved and was going to Eurostat but now that’s all going to go. The A75 is the sort of project that should have qualified for EU money because it was at one point defined as a Euro route.”
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