Transport Scotland - A90 Brechin bypass speed limit enforcement query: FOI release

Information requested

How will the speed limit of 50mph on the A90 Brechin bypass proposed by Amey be enforced?

Will this be by:

Re-calibrating the existing average speed cameras between South Drum and Stracathro (northbound) and Dubton and Balnabriech (southbound) to 50 mph?

or

Installing additional permanent average speed cameras between the Keithock and St Anne's junctions (northbound and southbound), calibrated to 50 mph?

or

Regular mobile speed camera placements along the Brechin bypass?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

Transport Scotland does not have the information you have asked for because enforcement of vehicle speeds on Scotland’s roads is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

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

As advised above, enforcement of vehicle speeds on Scotland’s roads is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Notwithstanding, in addition to routine road policing, across Scotland, safety cameras are deployed through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme primarily where they have the greatest potential to reduce injury collisions and where there is evidence of both collisions and speeding. This is in accordance with criteria contained in the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Handbook. This can be viewed at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-safety-camera-programme-handbook/

Average speed cameras were installed by the Scottish Safety Camera Programme on the A90 in 2017 as a change in technology replacing 18 fixed safety cameras.

Essential carriageway maintenance was completed by our Operating Company Amey in December 2025 to install a surface overlay between the St Ann’s and Keithock junctions. To maximise road user safety, the speed limit through the 6km stretch of those works was reduced to 50mph to mitigate any potential risk as a result of minor changes in carriageway levels. This speed limit is currently temporary as the subject of an Omnibus Order and arrangements are underway to make this speed limit permanent as part of a traffic regulation order in early Spring 2026.

As this section of the A90 forms part of a route which is subject to average speed enforcement, speed compliance and enforcement of the 50mph stretch is currently under consideration by the Scottish Safety Camera Programme and the North Safety Camera Unit. Enforcement of this stretch also requires agreement with Police Scotland, the Area Manager and our Operating Company. A decision is yet to be reached.

In the interim, speed compliance along this stretch is being monitored regularly until a final decision can be made on what enforcement approach is appropriate.

Notwithstanding, the operation of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme does not replace speed and road traffic enforcement by Road Policing Officers in Police Scotland and the decision to undertake any additional enforcement at that stretch remains an operational decision for Police Scotland. Scottish Ministers cannot interfere with those decisions.

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