Faded marks on roads put lives at risk

Published on 24/12/2012 12:00

ROAD markings in parts of the Capital are “barely visible” and the problem is putting lives at risk, new research has found.

And almost two-thirds of markings in Scotland are badly faded, the Road Safety Marking Association (RSMA) found after it analysed 640 miles of the roads network between July and September.

It discovered markings on some parts of the City Bypass and also the A8 heading west had suffered 80-90 per cent deterioration.

The RSMA warned that 40 per cent of the road markings across Scotland needed to be replaced “immediately”.

George Lee, national director of RSMA, said: “Taxpayers are paying, but the funds are simply not going on the roads.

“National standards are not being enforced and the quality of road markings is declining at an alarming rate.

“We strongly suspect that the layering of bureaucracy built into the system of maintaining roads is stifling results.”

But a Transport Scotland spokesman said: “This year we invested £1 million from our road safety budgets particularly to road lining to tackle the condition of our lining.”