Improving the trunk road network
Future improvements to the trunk road network
Respondents were asked to select up to three aspects of road works that they would most like to see improved. As shown in Figure 6.1, just over half of respondents (53%) selected the speed with which road defects and potholes are repaired, with around two in five (42%) selecting the general condition of road surfaces. This is a slight difference to 2019, when condition of road surfaces was highest ranked. The quality of repairs was also regarded as important (34% would like to see it improved) but this has declined since 2019 when nearly half (46%) prioritised it.
(Note that the wording of the question on priorities for improvement was changed in 2023 in response to the change of mode. Previously, respondents were asked to select ‘two or three’ from the list, whereas in the online survey in 2019, respondents were instructed to select ‘up to three’. This, and the change in mode, may account for the change in percentage values between years.)
Respondents in the South West were more likely than average to state the speed of repairs to road defects and potholes as a priority for improvement (60%, compared with 53% overall) while road users in the South East were more likely to prioritise the quality of repairs (39%, compared with 34% overall). Respondents in the North East were less likely to select the amount of traffic congestion as an area for improvement (23%, compared with 28% overall).
Men were more likely than women to prioritise improvements in the speed at which road defects are fixed (57% compared with 49%), as were those aged over 55 (62%, compared to 53% overall). Younger respondents (aged 18–24) were more likely to prioritise improving the amount of traffic congestion (46%, compared with 28% overall).
Priorities for development
The priorities for improvement outlined above in Figure 6.1 were reinforced by analysis of the relationship between satisfaction with various aspects of trunk road management and maintenance, and the relative perceived importance of each (see Appendix B).
In line with previous years, the key priorities for development emerged as: the speed of repairs, quality of repairs, and general condition of surfaces.
Priorities for future investment by Transport Scotland
Respondents were asked whether Transport Scotland should prioritise: a) investment in the building of new roads or; b) the maintenance of existing roads to a higher standard. As in 2019, respondents were overwhelmingly in favour of maintaining existing roads to a higher standard, with more than 8 in 10 (84%) choosing option b) (Figure 6.2).
Respondents in the South West (91%), over 55s (89%) and women (87%), were all even more likely to choose this option.
In terms of regional differences, respondents in the North East were the most likely to prioritise building new roads (20%, compared with 13% overall) while those in the South West were more likely to want to maintain existing roads to a higher standard (91%, compared with 84% overall) (Figure 6.3).
