MSP Backs Survey on A947 Road Safety

A survey calling for North-East residents to have their say on a notorious stretch of road has been backed by Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson.

It comes after concerns were highlighted by Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin after a number of constituents raised fears over the road.

Now Mr Stevenson has backed calls for people to respond to the survey on how safety can be improved on the A947 between Aberdeen and Banff.

Castleton Bridge near Plaidy on A947

The route has been the scene of more than 20 fatal crashes since 2005 and multiple crashes over the years.

Last month, 53-year-old Marek Walowski from Macduff was killed when his car hit a tree outside King Edward Parish Church.

A route improvement strategy for the road was published in 2016, which listed 20 options for improving the 41-mile road, including introducing overtaking lanes, increasing police speed limit enforcement and building bypass roads around some communities in the area.

Mr Stevenson said a particular hotspot was Plaidy in his constituency where there had been a number of incidents in recent years.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“The A947 stretch of road has been a serious concern for many years for drivers across the North-East.

“While work by Aberdeenshire Council is ongoing, this survey will make an important contribution, providing much needed information about some of the factors which cause danger along the A947.

“I know from experience the Plaidy area in particular is an area plagued by potential risk for road users.

“I welcome all the work by Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin to provide valuable information from constituents to the local authority.”