August 17th, 2001

Scots MEP John Purvis has taken up the campaign demanding urgent road improvements on the killer A9 at Ballinluig junction.

Mr Purvis first raised the question of the dangerous junction some twenty years ago when he was MEP for Mid Scotland and Fife.

Now, as an MEP for the whole of Scotland, he is campaigning yet again for improvements at the junction where there have been many more fatalities since his first intervention.

In a letter to Sarah Boyack, Minister for Transport and Planning, Mr Purvis appealed for a grade separated junction to replace the existing crossovers with safer sliproads.

"Two decades ago it was already clear that Ballinluig was a lethally dangerous junction," he said.

"Continuing appeals for improvements were made by myself, the MP Bill Walker and many others at that time.

"Many have been killed and injured at this location since then and it is source of great concern to me to find that 20 years later, still nothing has been done.

"I do hope you will respond positively and quickly and approve the standard of junction which this intersection demands and fully justifies."

A 24-hour surveillance camera has recently been installed at the junction to monitor traffic levels and behaviour but it is likely that no action will be taken until after the end of the summer recess of the Scottish Parliament on August 30.

John Purvis is a member of the Committee on Industry, External Trade Research and Energy and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Press Contact:
Frances Donald Tel 01333 340 325