Limited safety measures are to take place at a danger junction on the A90 near Portlethen.
The news came in a letter from Transport Scotland to North Kincardine Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Mollison.
He gave the work a cautious welcome: “Although Transport Scotland has ruled out bringing forward the construction of a grade separated junction at Bourtreebush, I am pleased that they are doing something, albeit limited in nature. There have been too many accidents at this blackspot, with people losing their lives.”
Transport Scotland’s strategic road safety manager Stuart Wilson wrote: “We are planning to fit marker posts on the central reserve to highlight this particular junction.
“In addition Transport Scotland will meet with our operating company BEAR Scotland and Police Scotland to review the adequacy of diversion routes when the trunk road has been closed due to an accident in Kincardineshire.”
In the most recent serious accident, the A90 was closed for seven hours on 14 August after a collision between a motorcyclist and a car, which claimed the life of the motorcyclist. Diversions clogged up surrounding rural roads for many hours.
Transport Scotland’s trunk roads director Roy Brannen has previously told North East Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes that it would “not be reasonable” to ask the developer of new town of Chapelton of Elsick to bring forward the building of the interchange.
The MSP had hoped that the Scottish Government could have had the planned underpass built earlier than needed for the new town.
Work on the new town started this month, with the construction starting on an access road to the first phase of some 800 houses near Newtonhill. The developer is required to provide a grade-separated junction at Bourtreebush before the 1744th house is occupied.
Mr Wilson told Cllr Mollison: “Under current planning legislation it would not be reasonable to ask the developer to bring forward the provision of this infrastructure.”
The councillor commented: “The underpass is the solution. Campaigners had hoped the Scottish Government might have stepped in to help build it sooner than later. Although any safety work is welcome, marker posts are not the answer we were seeking.”
Hello
I am so annoyed about the bluebird service I have just off the bus from Aberdeen to portlethen the number 7 had to stand all the way as the bus before that broke down I have mobility problems and was in a lot of pain by the time I got off the bus .we were treated like animals and squashed in the bus like sardines it was disgraceful .I got the bus in the morning trying to get to Union street by 9am I got on the bus at 8.19 and was told it didn’t stop at union street and had to get another bus from union square to get to union street I was told if I wanted to get to union street I should have got the bus at 8.04 this is a total disgrace that so disrespectful of the passengers and when you try to complain there is so answer or the person you need to talk to is too busy .I can not understand why the people of portlethen sect are willing to be treated like this and when I complained on the bus another passenger called out shut up at least your on the bus .I whish people would complain more and not just shut up and put up with it you are allowing this to go on by not having your say to squash too lots of buses into one was a disgrace and another bus should have been put on to deal with the situation if there was an accident would blue bird take responsibility for the extra passengers ???they just get away with this disgraceful disrespect for the passengers if it was not for us passengers they would not have a business .angry bluebird passenger portlethen
I am sorry you had such a difficult journey. I do hope you have contacted Stagecoach to make your feelings known. Email them at bluebird.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com
There is a legal limit to the number of people a bus can accommodate and I would be surprised if this was exceeded. More often than not squashing is caused by people who don’t move up the bus.
The changes on 14 October to the bus timetable have taken some getting used to and caused some confusion! I hope you have picked up a copy.
If this was a 7A that you caught then indeed they go down Wellington Road amd Market Street straight to the bus station. The 7 (such as the 8.04) goes along the traditional route.
Another avenue for complaints is the bus forum. This is held every six months in the council chambers at Viewmount, Arduthie Road, Stonehaven. The next meeting will be early next year. It is attended by senior managers of Stagecoach and members of the public are welcome to come along to put their points. Just turn up by 7pm. I can let you know the date once it has been fixed. Just let me know.