I'm sure that most folks passing through the town this past few days will have experienced the gridlock caused , yet again, by the traffic lights.

I would encourage as many people as possible to complain to Transport Scotland and the Scottish Ministers as I get the general impression that they really don't seem to understand how much of an issue is caused by both the number of sets of traffic lights we have, and the fact that they frequently  malfunction.

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The ANB email asking for action to be taken was :

Dear Sir,

Prior to  the opening of a new supermarket on the outskirts of  the town in 2011 , Nairn was (at Transport Scotland’s bidding), shackled with  an additional four sets of traffic  lights and one extra pedestrian crossing . This brought the total amount of traffic lights and pedestrian controlled crossings in the town to nine in just over  1½ miles of road.

Since the installation of the new lights and their integration into  existing system,  no more than a few weeks ever  pass where the traffic control system functions anywhere near what might be laughingly described as ‘effectively’.

The town is regularly gridlocked and protests and suggestions made at recent consultations with Transport Scotland/ Bear seem to have been ignored.

Since late last week, some issue has arisen and the traffic lights have been causing ridiculous  delays for drivers trying to pass through Nairn from west to east; a journey that should take 5 or 6 minutes, even at a busy time is  now taking 15-20, even on a Sunday.

I don’t really care how many ‘engineers’ may have assessed the system ( particularly the light at the A96/ Lochloy Road junction , which seem to be the main culprits) but in non-technical terms , it doesn’t work.

Those poor souls who are left trying to negotiate the ineffective and unnecessary gauntlet of lights at the moment must be left wondering if the person that designed them had just wandered into Transport Scotland off the street on that given day . If not, following  either the Peter, or Dilbert’s principle , you should  offer him a  place in the government, as he’s a natural.

Would you please engender a sense in the person responsible for the operation of the A96 through Nairn that:

a)      The system, as installed,  generally doesn’t work well.
b)      At the moment , the system as installed does not work at all ( unless the design brief included engineering gridlock and encouraging vehicles onto unsuitable rural and urban rat-runs.
c)       Nairn needs a bypass, or else the whole Inverness/ Aberdeen corridor will suffer economically.

So, to reiterate - We are a small town trying our best to get by in straitened times   and cannot help but feel that government or its agencies should be listening to our concerns , and more to the point, doing something about them.

The traffic situation in Nairn is ridiculous  and I will be interested to hear what you have planned for both the short term and the longer term but we need the issues that have arisen over the past few days to be addressed immediately.

David Brownless

Chair- Association of Nairn Businesses

When Sainsburys first applied to build at Balmakeith, one of the reports produced in response was from Transport Scotland.

Contained within were details of a whole raft of proposals for the road network in the town, which those in the transport 'know ' obviously thought necessary to allow the good folk of the town to go about their daily business without sitting for hours at a junction in their cars, or run the risk of being squished if they were on foot.

The detailed report was available for everyone to read,  so the arrival of men in yellow jackets in the town ,installing our four new sets of traffic lights , a roundabout and a pedestrian crossing, should come as no surprise to anyone who read the small print. However, it  appears  that most people had absolutely no idea that the granting of  their wishes for a new supermarket out of town would be somewhat  tainted by all these new traffic lights ,likely to reduce traffic flow through the town to a crawl, or possibly even nothing as fast.

The A96 provides the fundamental means by which many of the towns between Inverness and Aberdeen remain  viable commercial entities. Indeed, how will the towns of Highland,Moray and beyond  ever  haul themselves out of their current economic woes if the most basic needs of business, like ensuring staff,  customers and delveries, can't actually get there in the first place?

Nairn currently has two sets of traffic lights (each incorporating pedestrian crossings) , two 'stand alone' pedestrian controlled crossings and one roundabout.In a few months, when the dust has settled we will have six sets of traffic lights ( all with pedestrian crossings), three 'stand alone' crossings and two roundabouts.
Rather ironically, the Manse Road/ Waverley Road junction which most needs traffic lights, isn't going to get them.

It could be argued that the Scottish Ministers will never be presented with a better case for bringing forward the schedule for the bypass and, given it was the same Ministers that granted permission for the out of town store in the first place , I would consider it something they should apply themselves to without delay.

However you feel about the arrival of the new supermarket, there is the real risk that Nairn, and the villages on the 'rat-run', will see a direct affect on both  their amenity and economy. The Association is already a part of the bypass group and we will be contacting the Transport Minister in Edinburgh to ensure he is fully aware of the idiocy of the current situation and it's potential direct impact on the town and the surrounding villages.

Until the bypass is built , the fastest thing on the A96 in Nairn will very likely be a bike, possibly even one with an old wifie riding it.