Dave Thompson MSP

Following a meeting with Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson, the head of the organisation responsible for maintaining the country's trunk roads has agreed for urgent safety improvements to be carried out along a stretch of Lochaber road where two local youngsters died earlier this year.

A campaign for safety upgrades on the A830 Road to the Isles in Lochaber was mounted by former policeman John Bryden after his 19-year-old daughter Kirsty was killed with 17-year-old Roddy MacInnes when their car left the twisting road on a corner near their homes in Lochailort on Tuesday September 28.

Despite amassing evidence of a succession of accidents on the same four-mile section of the Mallaig road over a few weeks around the time of his daughter's death, Mr Bryden's calls for action were frustrated until Mr Thompson heard of his case and offered to help.

Mr Thompson quickly established that Mr Bryden's concerns were shared by many in the local community and contacted Northern Constabulary and Transport Scotland to see what could be done to bring an end to the recent spate of accidents.

Since there had been allegations that a spillage of diesel had been to blame for some difficulties in the area, Mr Thompson was swiftly able to convince Northern Constabulary and traffic commissioners from the Department for Transport to mount a series of "enforcement days" when all vehicles using the road will be tested for roadworthiness.

Then Mr Thompson sought a face-to-face meeting with Jim Barton, Transport Scotland's director of trunk road network management, and on Thursday was able to present the case for improvements personally. This resulted in an informal personal assurance from Mr Barton that he saw the need for urgent improvements and he suggested a programme of work which would be carried out immediately.

This, Mr Barton said, would involve a new crash barrier along the stretch of road where Miss Bryden and Mr MacInnes were killed when their car plunged from the road into Loch Eilt.

On Friday evening when Mr Barton's position was confirmed in a letter from Transport Scotland chief executive David Middleton, Mr Thompson called Mr Bryden to pass on the positive news.

"I am delighted that Transport Scotland have responded in such a positive way to the local campaign and that they have agreed to fit the safety barrier," said Mr Thompson.

"I was pleased they treated the matter so seriously and responded quickly once I got in touch with them. I hope they will continue to give this matter the attention it deserves and that we will shortly see barriers going up to help prevent further tragedies."

On being told the news by Mr Thompson, Mr Bryden said: "I am absolutely and utterly overwhelmed with relief that something is now being done. Because of what Dave has been able to achieve my wife and I now feel an almost indescribable sense of relief.

"As the retired local policeman still staying in the area, people were still coming to me with information about the road and I was passing it on to the authorities but nothing was happening. It was only when Dave helped that this was able to be taken forward."

Notes:

Excerpt for David Middleton's letter to Dave Thompson dated Dec 3:

"Having considered this matter in some detail, we do recognise that, whilst there may be nothing obvious relating to the road layout that might have caused either accident, it is the case that two similar accidents have occurred at the same location within a short space of time, one of which resulted in the deaths of two young people. we have therefore concluded that we will install a safety fence at the bend and to extend it beyond the point where it would normally terminate to include the location where it is understood these two accidents occurred."

A "Save our Souls" march along the A830 is scheduled to take place on Sunday at 12.30pm. This will start from the Brydens' home, Craiglea, Lochailort, and carry on for more than two miles of the A830 to the spot where the teenage couple died on September 28.

Mr Middleton also agreed to investigate concern raised by Mr Thompson about the design of a parapet over a culvert under the road near Mr Bryden's house.