They say a “fresh broom sweeps clean”, but Scotland’s new transport secretary could fill a few bin bags with previous broken promises and false dawns over the A9 and A96.

These twin routes linking Inverness with Perth and Aberdeen have been cursed by lack of action about fulfilling long-held pledges to fully dual them – to the point where it’s become a national scandal for the Scottish Government.

The late Alex Salmond cut an exasperated figure at a roads inquiry into the delay a few years ago when he uttered the immortal words that it was “a matter of honour” for Scottish ministers to get both jobs done.

Still, we are waiting.

Tragically, we know that many lives lost in accidents over the years have been attributed to conditions on both roads.

While it’s easy to call them “killer roads”, human error is often the cause – yet driver frustration and fatigue are contributory factors linked to substandard driving conditions.

It’s not inconceivable that many other people have died in a lingering state of anticipation – they passed on from old age or medical conditions while waiting in vain for something to happen.

The Scottish Government has managed to find somewhere to park the bus while prevaricating for many years.

Or to launch another........

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