Emma Harper MSP is pleased that the Scottish Government’s recently appointed Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson MSP, has accepted her invitation to meet with campaigners who want to see significant improvements made to the A75 and A77 roads in South West Scotland.
Since her election to the Scottish Parliament, the South Scotland MSP has been consistently lobbying the Scottish Government to make significant investment to Dumfries & Galloway’s main arterial roads linking Dumfries with Stranraer (A75) and Stranraer with Ayr (A77), and over the last couple of weeks has continued to engage with members from both action groups at various agricultural shows.
Commenting, Ms Harper said:
“I am pleased that on Friday evening the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson MSP, accepted my invitation to meet with members of both the A75 and A77 Action Groups. I have requested that the meeting take place in South Scotland, and my office is currently liaising with the Action Groups and Mr Matheson’s officials in order to get a date in the diary at everyone’s earliest convenience.”
“I have been lobbying The Scottish Government under the previous Transport Minister and now the new Transport Secretary, and I’m delighted activists – who have been working so hard – will be given the opportunity to speak to Mr Matheson face to face to reaffirm their case for roads investment.”
“We have seen a commitment from the Scottish Government to improve roads and infrastructure in the South West with the second Strategic Transport Project Review, a study which focusses on roads and infrastructure projects mainly in the Dumfries and Galloway area with a particular focus on the ports at Cairnryan, and I have written to Transport Scotland in order to seek detail on when this review is due to be completed.
“The Scottish Government have made significant infrastructure investment across other parts of Scotland, including: The M8, A9 and the Queensferry Crossing – which I welcome. But now is absolutely the right time to give the South West economy the much needed attention it deserves. However, many major infrastructure investments across the UK are partly funded from European Union money. I am extremely concerned over future infrastructure investment post Brexit.”
