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The vast majority of people who took part in a poll say the A96 should be fully dualled from Aberdeen to Inverness.

The north-east public are getting impatient for a final decision on whether the vital road link will ever be fully dualled.

The SNP promised over a decade ago it would dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030, as well as the A9 between Inverness and Perth.

However, this was thrown into doubt when the Scottish Greens were brought into government in 2021.

Following latest news of a delay in the decision, the Press and Journal asked its readers if the A96 should be dualled - and their response was clear.

Just over 1,300 votes were cast - and 1,221 said "yes" while just 87 said "no".

93.35% in favour

That means 93.35% are in favour of the major improvement to the road.

The P&J says that many people took to social media to explain why they supported full dualling.

One said: "Every city in Scotland should be linked with dual carriageway, no ifs or buts.

"They say use public transport, but it needs to be affordable."

Another added: "It's ridiculous that the bus from Aberdeen to Elgin takes two and a half hours for 65 miles.

"No wonder people don't use public transport.

Train strikes

"The trains were OK until the strikes and cancellations."

Others highlighted safety concerns over the A96 not being dualled.

One commented: "It should have been done years ago to save all these deaths on the road.

"Get it done -we are due better roads in Scotland."

Another added: "It was promised on the grounds of safety 10 years ago, and remains a pledge," added another.

"Government needs to be honest with the north's public."

Get rail improvements

But one person against dualling said: "No. Let's get the railway improved and electrified first.

"The time it takes to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and/or Glasgow is ridiculous."

It emerged just before Christmas that a final dualling decision for the A96 will not be made until well into this year, according to a long-awaited study from the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland confirmed 16 options for the route are being looked at in the first half of 2023.

But that work will then be taken for further public consultation before a final decision can be reached.

The SNP and Greens had agreed to carry out a "transparent, evidence-based review" of the dualling project, including a "climate compatibility assessment".

Agreement

The agreement signed by the two parties pledged to report this review by the end of last year.

But only the initial appraisal and the public consultation were published in time for the deadline. The climate review is not due until later this year.

Respondents to the public consultation were asked about their travel habits, their use of different modes of transport and the benefits and disadvantages of using the A96 corridor.

The most frequently raised suggestion for the road was the need for full or partial dualling, with 55% of respondents calling for this. Around 11% opposed dualling - either full or partial.

The three top safety concerns raised were: dangerous overtaking, lack of overtaking opportunities and the road being unsafe in general.

On road safety, 58% of respondents stated that they felt very unsafe or somewhat unsafe when using the route compared to 21% who said they felt very safe or somewhat safe.

North-east Tory MSP Liam Kerr said: "The people of north Scotland will be using this road well into 2023 without a decision."

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