We need to make our roads safer
I was very saddened to read recently of the number of dead otters reported on our roads. According to Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary five otters were found dead on the A970 between Girlsta and Brae recently with another found on the Westside near Bixter.
Cutting speed a little and making our roads safer will not make much different to travelling times but it could cut down on the amount of wildlife that is killed.
We need to make our roads safer for both our people and our wildlife. We need to safeguard pedestrians, cyclists and children in residential areas by bringing in 20mph speed limits in our villages and providing more pedestrian crossings. In areas that can be identified as dangerous to our wildlife we should be looking at ways that we can reduce that danger.
I recently submitted a petition to the SIC supported by the Sandsting and Aithsting Community Council which managed to get a temporary speed restriction introduced at Tresta but the process was not straightforward.
As a councillor I would explore ways to make our roads safer by working with the SIC, other councillors and wildlife organisations while also working towards making procedures simpler.
Debra Nicolson
Tresta
Election candidate for Shetland West
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