Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route

Speech by Alison McInnes delivered to The Scottish Parliament on Wed 26th Sep 2007

The Liberal Democrats, in partnership with the Labour Party in Government, previously made record investment in transport and announced that it would take forward the AWPR...

There are cogent arguments for the need for the road: it will increase connectivity throughout the region; it will reduce traffic levels and emissions on urban and rural routes; it will increase transport interchange opportunities through a network of park-and-ride sites; and it will free up city-centre road space to allow more imaginative public transport options and priorities.

The majority of people and businesses in the area support the road. It has gained support repeatedly, first in the consultation on the modern transport system, way back in 2003, and again in the consultation on the regional transport strategy in 2006, which will be finalised in 2007. I know of no other road scheme that carries so much support. There might well be objections, but I remind members that there has been a petition with more than 15,000 signatures in favour of the road.

It is a project that has had a long gestation. The people of the north-east deserve certainty, which I ask the minister to provide by committing to ensuring that there will be no further delays because of uncertainty around the funding package...

I also ask the minister to sign off the regional transport strategy for the north-east, which places the AWPR at its heart. The minister's endorsement of that strategy would be a good step forward.