There are almost 50% more trucks using the A75 between Stranraer and Gretna than there are on average across the Scottish Trunk Road Network, according to the Scottish Government.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) enquired about ‘the national average of HGVs on the Scottish Trunk Network’ and specifically the ‘HGV percentage on the A75, and A77 trunk roads’.
The response was that the Scottish national average of HGV’s on the Trunk Road Network for 2019 was 14.0%. For the same period, the A75 westbound was 20.4%, and eastbound 21.0%. On the A77 between Stranraer and the M77 junction at Fenwick, 13.3% northbound and 13.6% southbound traffic represented HGVs.
While no specific reason was attributed to the higher figures on the A75, it is a main route for traffic heading up from England to use the ferry terminals at Cairnryan.
Campaigners have long demanded the A75 be upgraded, and for the national speed limit for trucks on single-carriageway A-roads be raised from 40mph to 50mph, to match existing speed limits in England and Wales introduced in 2015.
Transport Scotland is waiting for a third and final report from the Department for Transport (DfT) reviewing its original change in road speed legislation. Only then will Transport Scotland make a decision, although it is running a similar 50mph HGV speed limit trial on the A9.
An additional question comparing these figures with to the English Network was not answered as Transport Scotland said it did not have the relevant information.
However, the DfT published (June 2019) provisional estimates for motor vehicles on UK roads for a rolling 12 months ending March 2019, which showed HGVs represented 5.2% of all road traffic.
