Press Release 16th July 2013

Road Safety Concerns at Cartsdyke Roundabout

Duncan McNeil MSP called today for action to improve road safety at a major Inverclyde roundabout.

There have been frequent diesel spillages at the A8 Cartsdyke Roundabout near McDonald's - and the company responsible for the road says nothing can be done about it.

TranServ say its happening because the roundabout is so small that lorries and buses have to negotiate tight bends, causing spillages.

Already there have been three reports of spillages since the start of April.

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNei said, "it is not 'good enough' to sit back and accept the situation".   "Something has to be done to improve safety at this very busy roundabout".

"We just can't accept that this is continuing to happen because, apparently, there wasn't enough land available to build a big enough roundabout".

"At the very least, there should be signs warning drivers that there is a risk of diesel on the road but ideally action should be taken to make the surface safer.

I raised the issue with TranServ's customer services manager, Tom Watson, who said: "The A8 Cartsdyke roundabout is one of the smaller roundabouts due to the fact that limited land was available for its construction.

"Smaller roundabouts can be susceptible to diesel spillages from large motor lorries and buses negotiating the roundabout."

Mr Watson added: "This roundabout is scheduled to be resurfaced in this financial year, but, unfortunately, this will not prevent lorries/buses spilling diesel on to the road."

Several motorists have now told the Tele about experiencing lack of grip when going around the roundabout.

A spokesperson for TranServ said: "We are not aware of any long-term issues on this route regarding fuel spillages.

"Should such an event occur, our operatives are deployed to ensure the affected area is safe and treat the surface quickly and efficiently.

"There are no plans to install advanced warning signs at this location.

"However, we would urge motorists to report any issues to our customer care line on 0141 218 3800."