Hauliers from across Argyll and Bute staged a protest against plans for four years of traffic restrictions at the landslip-plagued A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
More than 20 trucks, coaches and tractors took part in a rolling convoy on Saturday 24 October, joined by SNP MP Brendan O’Hara. His petition urging Transport Scotland to reconsider its plans has attracted more than 9,000 signatures.
Transport Scotland reiterated its commitment to finding a permanent solution to landslip risks on the A83. The next taskforce meeting is scheduled for January 2027, with cabinet secretary for economy, tourism and transport Stephen Flynn due to meet campaigners before deciding on a medium-term solution.
The preferred option would divert traffic along the single-track Old Military Road (OMR), using a convoy system for four years. Hauliers fear severe delays and restricted access, particularly during the peak tourist season.
Alternatives proposed by operators include upgrading the parallel Forestry Road to provide separate northbound and southbound routes, or widening the OMR for two-way traffic, said John Gurr, chairman of the Rest and Be Thankful campaign group.
Calum McCrae, managing director of Cairndow-based A&L McCrae, warned the OMR proposal could force hauliers out of business or drive them to relocate to the Central Belt if they could no longer maintain service levels.
He also challenged Transport Scotland’s estimated 25-minute delay in each direction.
“Our rolling convoy protest created a delay of just 15 minutes for traffic coming up the hill from Arrochar, and we counted more than 100 cars,” he said. “That was on a Saturday morning coming into winter, not during peak summer traffic, when volumes are far higher.”
Peter McKerral, director of Campbeltown-based Peter McKerral & Co, which transports timber, milk, livestock and farm feeds, as well as general haulage, warned of significant delays.
“There are also a lot of heavy loads that travel through the Rest and Be Thankful, and they will struggle on the OMR,” he said.
George McNaughton, director of Lochgilphead civil engineering firm George McNaughton & Son, said projects beyond the pass required around 100 vehicle journeys a week along the A83. He warned that a landslide could block the OMR during the proposed engineering works, cutting off the route entirely.
Campbeltown-based AM Transport, which also has a Glasgow depot, sends around 75 vehicles a week through the pass. Director Ewan McIlroy said delays would affect drivers’ hours compliance, delivery schedules and operating costs.
“Over a prolonged period, those additional costs would place considerable pressure on both our business and the customers who rely on our services,” he said.
