Following recent coverage by Dumfriesshire Newspapers Group of issues with Heavy Goods Vehicles in Johnstonebridge local MP David Mundell has received a number of similar complaints and requests for help from those living along B7076. After checking out the level of traffic using the road earlier this week the MP for Dumfriesshire has given his backing to local residents who are calling on Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Police to look again and see what more can be done to support local residents. Mr Mundell believes that for various reasons, including the Truck stop between Johnstonebridge and Lockerbie, the number of large vehicles using this section of the B7076 has increased over recent years and that the increased noise and perceived danger to local residents should not be dismissed out of hand. The local MP says he fully understands and appreciates the concerns, particularly given the fact that the village has grown and the number of young families has increased. Mr Mundell believes that as a consequence there is a growing number of people who need to cross the main road on a daily basis to catch the bus or access the service station just down the road and feels this major change to the community justifies a re-think. Mr Mundell has also dismissed the belief that a reduction in the speed limit on the road would be impossible, pointing to a number of other similar communities in his constituency that lie on the main A702 and A701 routes to Edinburgh.
Commenting Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell said: “Having been down to Johnstonebrige myself this week to check out the problem, I really appreciate what local residents are so concerned about and I wouldn’t want my children crossing that road every day. Despite signs urging caution, it is clear that a number of drivers seem to continue through the village as if it was a section of open road. Given the way the junction back onto the motorway is set up I also got the impression that a number of truck drivers just continue on to Moffat after exiting the motorway at Lockerbie to make use of the truck stop on the B7076.”
Mr Mundell added: “In my view it is time for the Dumfries and Galloway Council and the local Police to look again at what local residents are saying. The village has grown and so has the volume of traffic passing through it and we need to make sure that safety comes first. It should be up to local residents to decide if a speed reduction should be taken forward and people are wrong to dismiss it as there are a number of other similar communities along the A701 and A702 within my constituency that have much more robust road safety measures in place.”