A MEETING with the Transport Secretary to discuss the A77 has been described as ‘disappointing’.

On Wednesday, August 22, local MSPs and the A77 and the A75 Action Groups met with the new Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson in Stranraer, however, there were ‘no new commitment of investment’ for key trunk roads in the region.

The purpose of the meeting was to allow Mr Matheson, to listen to the case for major infrastructure investment from both the A75 and A77 Action Groups, as well as from P&O and Stena leadership.

John Campbell, of A77 Action group, said: “The meeting was so poor. He said that there were more priorities in other parts of Scotland, but this is the busiest ferry port in the whole of Scotland – there are 26 ferries a day.

“He did say that there is a process to go through, we have got to wait for that process to finish and then have a look to see where they are going to spend the money. We explained that we need it right now.”

MSP Colin Smyth added: “The new Transport Secretary should have accepted that there has been a lack of investment in key trunk roads in the region such as the A77 and A75 and make clear he understood the need to address that neglect.

“Instead he simply reiterated what we already know, namely that there is a review of transport which won’t report until the end of the year. That will then feed into a wider strategic road for the whole of Scotland so the bottom line, is we are still years away from any new major investment in trunk roads here and that is very disappointing.

“There has been no major investment on those roads in the last few years and more worryingly there are no plans to change that in the near future.

“But what is clear that with active Action Groups campaigning for improvements and growing anger from businesses such as the ferry companies who feel badly let down – we’re not going to go away. There is real momentum behind the campaign for investment on the region’s roads and we will keep fighting until that is secured.”