HC Deb 21 February 1992 vol 204 cc343-4W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the results of all traffic surveys his Department has carried out at Dairsie in the last 10 years for which information is available.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Classified traffic counts are carried out at a location on the A91 west of Dairsie at six-yearly intervals. The results of those carried out on the last two counts were:

  • 14 October 1980 5,782 vehicles from 7 am to 7 pm.
  • 14 October 1986 6,438 vehicles from 7 am to 7 pm.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what factors influenced his decision in 1991 not to build a bypass round Dairsie.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The resources available for road building schemes are limited and therefore choices have to be made between the numerous schemes competing for the available funding. Before a feasibility study is carried out, it is necessary to ensure that the benefits arising from a scheme would justify the capital expenditure. In the case of a bypass of Dairsie such an evaluation indicated that this criterion could not be met.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what considerations have caused him to conclude that a controlled pedestrian crossing at Dairsie is not justified.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Counts of pedestrian and vehicular movements on the A91 within Dairsie indicated that the combined movements were less than one quarter of the figure required to justify the provision of a pedestrian crossing.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will institute traffic-calming measures to reduce the speed of vehicles travelling through Dairsie.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Measures to reduce the speed of traffic through Dairsie have already been introduced and further measures are planned for later this year.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct a fresh survey of traffic at Dairsie to determine whether a bypass is justified.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Classified traffic counts are undertaken on a six-yearly cycle at predetermined census points throughout the United Kingdom.

One such census point is located just west of Dairsie and is representative of the traffic flows within the village. The next count at this location is planned for October this year from which it will be possible to determine whether further consideration of a bypass of Dairsie is justified.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received in support of a controlled pedestrian crossing at Dairsie; and from whom.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

A total of 64 individual letters have been received from residents of Dairsie supporting the installation of a pelican crossing. In addition two petitions containing in total 266 signatures, including 38 from primary school children, have been received. Some of the signatories to the petitions also wrote individually and are therefore included in both totals.