§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what proportion of traffic on the A94 in the County of Kincardine originates outside and has its destination beyond the county;
(2) what proportion of traffic on the A94 in the County of Angus originates outside and has its destination beyond the county.
§ Mr. RossThere has so far been no survey of the origin and destination of traffic on A94. This is the kind of information which I expect will be obtained as part of the Tayside Study.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has deferred the trunking of route A94, Stone-haven to Perth; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has decided to postpone indefinitely the trunking of the A94 between Perth and Stonehaven.
§ Mr. RossI would refer the hon. Members to the reply given yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen. South (Mr. Dewar).—[Vol. 746, c. 1474.]
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has made a traffic survey of routes A92, Dundee to Stonehaven, and A94, Perth to Stone-haven, since the opening of the Tay Road Bridge; and how this compares with surveys prior to the opening.
§ Mr. RossRecent information about the volume of traffic on A92 suggests that no significant increase of traffic on this road north-east of Dundee has followed the opening of the Bridge.
The latest census of traffic on A94 was that taken in August, 1963.
§ Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has made to improve road communications between Perth and Stonehaven; and what estimate he has made of the increase of traffic on the A94 road following the completion of the Crossgates-Perth motorway;
276W(2) when the motorway from Cross-gates to Perth will be completed; and what plans he has made for the improvement of the A94 Perth-Stonehaven road.
§ Mr. RossThe improvement of the A94 road between Perth and Stonehaven is a matter for the county councils of Perth, Angus and Kincardine, as highway authorities. To this end, I have provisionally approved proposals by these authorities estimated to cost £190,000 and requiring grant of £143,000 during the next two years.
This route should continue to share the general increase in road traffic expected during the next few years, including some attracted to the Crossgates-Perth motorway when it is completed in the early 1970s.
§ Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he made of traffic trends before deciding not to proceed with the trunking of the A94 road from Perth to Stonehaven.
§ Mr. RossThe suggestion to trunk A94 from Perth to Stonehaven and the associated suggestion to de-trunk A92 from Dundee to Stonehaven were proposals only. I expect that traffic surveys on both roads which will help me in reaching a final decision will be made as part of the Tayside Study.
§ Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work will start on the Perth by-pass; when the road will be completed; and what link is proposed with the A94 road from Perth to Stonehaven.
§ Mr. RossThere will be a good case for starting work on a southern by-pass of Perth by the early 1970s., I have not yet decided what priority should be given to a western by-pass and whether this should link with the A94.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the additional traffic which will be carried on the A94 between Perth and Stonehaven as a result of the withdrawal of passenger services from the Strathmore line.
§ Mr. RossI understand that the additional traffic which will result from transferring rail passengers from the Strathmore line to the A94 road will be 277W negligible—substantially less than 1 per cent. of the traffic at present carried by this road.