Alan Reid, Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll & Bute, has called for urgent action from the Scottish Government to ensure that the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful remains open to traffic in the future.

Speaking after the road was re-opened after being closed from last Tuesday to Thursday, Mr Reid said,Alan Reid MP: Argyll & Bute

“Thankfully nobody was underneath the landslip when it happened. The Scottish Government has a duty to make our roads safe. Given all the rain that had fallen, the Scottish Government should have been checking the hillside regularly to make sure that there was no risk of a landslip. The landslip two years ago should have acted as a warning. From now on the hillside must be checked regularly and appropriate action taken if there is any risk of another landslip.

“When the A83 is closed, an hour is added to the journey time to reach many parts of Argyll. This obviously has a severe impact on local businesses. If this happened in the central belt, the Scottish Government would spend millions of pounds solving the problem. They must do the same for Argyll. It doesn’t matter how much it would cost – the road must be made safe and kept open at all times. The Scottish Government must examine all options – including building an alternative route on the opposite side of Glen Croe where there is already a forestry track.”