Scottish Government orders transport strategy review to look at upgrading trunk network

Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf has ordered a review the national transport strategy to consider further improvements to trunk roads in the south of Scotland, it was reported.

Yousaf told a summit on Dumfries & Galloway's transport problems that the SNP Government wanted to do more to enhance connectivity "for communities and freight travellling to and from the key transport hub at Cairnryan". The review of the 20-year document would look at improving road connections "including between Dumfries and the M74 and rail connections will be examined to ensure we strike the right balance of transport investments".

The summit was an SNP election pledge and the Conservative opposition had called on Yousaf to not turn up "empty-handed" given calls to upgrade the A75 from Gretna to Stranraer to dual carriageway. The SNP had denied it would be a "talking shop" ahead of the event, the BBC reported. But despite the announced review, his visit was criticised in the press, with Dumfriesshire MSP saying he had "left his chequebook in Edinburgh," The Daily Record said.

The SNP responded in the press that there were no "shovel-ready projects" proposed by the regional planning body Swestrans for the A75 and that the review would re-assess recommendations for strategic infrastructure. Ministers want a NTS2 that has a "coherent transport narrative" with a "clearer alignment" with other strategies such as the National Planning Framework. They say it will potentially modify roles and responsibilities.