A75 Springholm speed management and 20mph trunk routes programme 2025: FOI release

Information requested

In your FOISA response dated 29 July 2025 (reference 202500473913) and Annex O thereof Transport Scotland set out the revised timetable for the implementation of 20 mph speed limits on trunk route streets across Scotland. We attach Annex O for ease of reference. Therein 20 mph Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders were timetabled for completion before now for the following trunk route communities:

Stranraer A75/A77 31/072025
Biggar A702 30/06/2025
Dumfries A701 01/08/2025
Minishant A77 31/07/2025
Cairnryan A77 31/07/2025
Methven A85 21/07/2025
St Fillans A85 21/07/2025
Crianlarich A85 01/08/2025
Strathyre A84 01/08/2025
Crimond A90 31/07/2025
Fraserburgh A90 31/07/2025
Largs A78 31/07/2025
Fairlie A78 31/07/2025
Kilwinning A737/A738 21/07/2025
Skelmorlie/Wemyss Bay A78 31/07/2025

We can find no evidence of any 20 mph road traffic orders having been made by Transport Scotland in implementation of the foregoing, with the possible sole exception of Biggar. https://www.transport.gov.scot/road-order/the-a702-trunk-road-biggar-temporary-20mph-speedrestriction-order-2025/

1. Does the A702 Trunk Road (Biggar) (Temporary 20 MPH Speed Restriction) Order 2025 in operation from 30th June 2025 until 30th December 2026 enable Bigger to now be crossed off as delivered from the foregoing implementation list of 20 mph trunk route streets?

2. Have any of the other 20 mph proposals listed for completion by now been delivered or indeed has any work been done on the ground to erect the required signage in advance of the making of a formal 20 mph temporary speed restriction order?

3. Have Amey or any other applicable trunk route signage contractor to Transport Scotland yet been instructed to install new 20 mph signage in any of these locations?

As Transport Scotland is aware the Scottish Parliament enacted United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2024/1

Article 6 provides that

1 States Parties recognise that every child has the inherent right to life.

2 States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child. It is embodied in the Biggar TTRO among others : The Scottish Ministers have made the following statement regarding children’s rights.
“In accordance with section 23(2) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 (the Act), the Scottish Ministers certify that, in their view, the A702 Trunk Road (Biggar) (Temporary 20mph Speed Restriction) Order 2025 is compatible with the UNCRC requirements as defined by section 1(2) of the Act.”

4. Does Transport Scotland accept it has a duty toward child active travellers on its trunk route streets to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child?

5. Does Transport Scotland accept that the maintenance of 30 mph trunk route street speed limits, which it acknowledges in its website carry a far greater risk of death or serious injury for active travellers in collision with motor vehicles, does other than egregiously breach the forgoing duty imposed by the legislation to secure to the maximum extent possible the welfare of the child?

6. Transport Scotland's website says "If you hit someone at 30 mph, they’re seven times more likely to die than at 20 mph. To keep everyone safe in cities, towns and villages across Scotland, new reduced 20 mph speed limits will be put in place on all appropriate roads." Does Transport Scotland accept that the duty imposed under the legislation to protect the child to the maximum extent possible behoves it as agent of the Scottish Government to prioritise the roll out of 20 mph limits ahead of works such as the current replacement of the A75 pavement in Springholm, the not unreasonable pre-existing condition of which by no stretch of imagination poses an equivalent existential threat to life and limb for the child compared to the A75 trunk route traffic under the present discredited 30 mph speed limit and its ongoing RTC run off collision data to which may be added an HGV which we are led to believe had a collision with Amey pavement contractors vehicle having knocked over protective cones in an ostensibly protective single file traffic system?

The A75 village streets are at all times a potential death zone simply awaiting fatal confirmation of the egregious risk for active travellers and exposed frontagers, yet all the evidence to hand confirms that the Scottish Government is anything but prioritising its 20 mph trunk route street rollout. So as delays mount up and enhanced best practice traffic safety is thereby denied to active travelling children and others we must keep relentlessly probing the endangering delays apparently unfolding within the outstanding implementation programme. https://youtu.be/XkDbLPGWb6Q Fairlie was the inspiration for our traffic safety campaign after the death of a home frontage occupant when an HGV ploughed through the gable wall of her home there yet it too appears to be falling behind within the 20 mph implementation programme. So much for fine words. Delivery is all that will protect the vulnerable in harm's way on trunk route streets and all the evidence to hand points toward it having slowed to a trickle under John Swinney's watch and perhaps even a total halt as Transport Scotland's aforementioned implementation list fails to get crossed off as completed. It is consistent with the fact he went out of his way to avoid us in his Crocketford visit in the wake of the horrific HGV crash and then totally failed to show any support for the 20 mph plans Transport Scotland had prepared for the village. It seems that the Scottish Government has covertly given up on pushing 20 mph and is now marking time. We therefore await a stream of excuses why this implementation list is at a standstill ditto our local Council's 20 mph rollout whereby not a single town in the Stewartry district of the region has 20 mph and many villages have no such provision scheduled either.

It will suffice to send us an electronic reply with any appropriate file attachments.

Response

To aid in my response I have answered the questions in the order that they were received.

1. Does the A702 Trunk Road (Biggar) (Temporary 20 MPH Speed Restriction) Order 2025 in operation from 30th June 2025 until 30th December 2026 enable Bigger to now be crossed off as delivered from the foregoing implementation list of 20 mph trunk route streets?

The A702 Trunk Road (Biggar) (Temporary 20MPH Speed Restriction) Order 2025 came into force on 30/6/2025 and will remain in force for a maximum period of 18 months. A permanent Speed Restriction Order will be processed to replace the temporary Order.

2. Have any of the other 20mph proposals listed for completion by now been delivered or indeed has any work been done on the ground to erect the required signage in advance of the making of a formal 20mph temporary speed restriction order?

Yes, the following Temporary Trunk Road Orders for 20mph speed limits have come into force;

• A85 Methven – came into force on 21 July 2025
• A85 St Fillans - came into force on 21 July 2025
• A85 Crianlarich – cane into force on 1 August
• A84 Strathyre – came into force on 1 August

Construction work to support a 20mph speed limit on the A77 in Cairnryan commenced on 28 July 2025.

3. Have Amey or any other applicable trunk route signage contractor to Transport Scotland yet been instructed to install new 20 mph signage in any of these locations?

Transport Scotland has been working closely with both our Operating Companies, Amey and BEAR, to develop the programme for delivering the 20 mph speed limits on the trunk road network. The programme is subject to change due to the need co-ordinate works with local authorities, the availability the Operating Companies and sub-contractors to implement the works and the availability of road space to allow construction that does not conflict with works being undertaken by others such as utility companies.

The process for installing 20 mph limits involves investigation, environmental assessments, design works and construction. Operating Company submit bids for funds through Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System. These are reviewed by Transport Scotland and where appropriate an order is made releasing funds enabling the Operating Company to proceed.

A list of the bids that have been ordered to 4 August for investigation, environmental assessments, design, environmental works construction is included in Annex A.

4. Does Transport Scotland accept it has a duty toward child active travellers on its trunk route streets to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Further information on CRWIA can be found on the following link - Child rights and wellbeing impact assessment external guidance and templates - gov.scot

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

5. Does Transport Scotland accept that the maintenance of 30 mph trunk route street speed limits, which it acknowledges in its website carry a far greater risk of death or serious injury for active travellers in collision with motor vehicles, does other than egregiously breach the forgoing duty imposed by the legislation to secure to the maximum extent possible the welfare of the child?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you requested because Transport Scotland does not hold the information on whether maintenance of 30’s breaches the CRWIA Principles or in respect of the specific wording of the question.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

6. Transport Scotland's website says "If you hit someone at 30 mph, they’re seven times more likely to die than at 20 mph. To keep everyone safe in cities, towns and villages across Scotland, new reduced 20 mph speed limits will be put in place on all appropriate roads." Does Transport Scotland accept that the duty imposed under the legislation to protect the child to the maximum extent possible behoves it as agent of the Scottish Government to prioritise the roll out of 20 mph limits ahead of works such as the current replacement of the A75 pavement in Springholm, the not unreasonable pre-existing condition of which by no stretch of imagination poses an equivalent existential threat to life and limb for the child compared to the A75 trunk route traffic under the present discredited 30 mph speed limit and its ongoing RTC run off collision data to which may be added an HGV which we are led to believe had a collision with Amey pavement contractors vehicle having knocked over protective cones in an ostensibly protective single file traffic system?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because we do not hold the information on TS acceptance of whether 20s should be prioritised over the pavement replacement.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500478735 - Information released - Annex A

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