Safety Improvements at Bruntland Road junction a low priority

3.00.00pm GMT Fri 19th Feb 2010

Safety improvements to a road junction where there was a serious bus accident are a "low priority" for the Scottish Government. Aberdeenshire Councillor Paul Melling has reacted angrily to the news. It seems reducing the number of accidents at the Bruntland Road Portlethen junction on the A90 is not on ministers' list of priorities for the area.

There have been a large number of accidents at the junction. In December 2009 a bus crash there left a young mother with serious injuries and she had to undergo an emergency caesarian section.

Paul Melling, Councillor for North Kincardine, has been campaigning for improvements at the junction for many years.

He said: "The last letter I had from the government said they deemed it a low priority. How much of a tragedy do we have to have before they decide it is a high priority?

"That makes me quite angry. Figures have shown the cost of a fatality is around £1.9million. If we spent £1.9million on this junction we would have an exceptionally safe junction I would hope."

Transport Scotland said they had undertaken extensive studies of the A90 junctions, considering a variety of safety improvements and liaising with Aberdeenshire Council. A spokeswoman said: "This study will then be analysed to assess and identify the most effective method for improving safety at the junction."