By Bill Heaney
A police officer is among three people taken to hospital after two crashes which led to traffic jams and road chaos in West Dunbartonshire.
There was yet another motorbike crash on the A82 near to Dunglass roundabout in Bowling around 6.55pm on Saturday, September 7, causing long tailbacks in both directions beyond Dumbuck juunction, the Erskine Bridge and further south towards Glasgow at the Kilbowie roundabout.
The roundabout at Dunglass is one of a number on the A82 which are regarded as dangerous.
Motorbike crashes are now commonplace further north of the Loch Lomondside section of the A82.
A second crash at Dunglass which involved a car and a police vehicle then occurred with a male police officer taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital alongside a 28-year-old woman.
One frustrated motorist said: “If this is what traffic is like now then what is it going to look like if Flamingo Land get permission to have their pleasure park in Balloch? Chaos doesn’t cut it.”
The 53-year-old male rider of the motorcycle was also taken to hospital for treatment.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.55pm on Saturday, September 7, 2024, officers were attending a single motorbike crash on the A82 Bowling near to Dunglass roundabout, Bowling.
“A second crash then occurred nearby involving a car and a police vehicle.
“The 53-year-old male motorcyclist, a 28-year-old woman and a male officer were taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for treatment.
“Inquiries are ongoing.”
Top of page: The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley where the casualties were taken.
Again, we need to give a big thank you to the fire and rescue, police and emergency medical crews who attend these accidents.
My own personal grievance is the inadequacy of our main trunk road north. The A82 is unsafe. No amount of massaging the statistics can mask that. It is a death and injury road, the police know it, the ambulance service know it, the fire and rescue services know it.
Indeed, there are sections of the A82 at he north end of the loch where the road is more in keeping with what you would see in rural India. But of course its the capacity and design of the road along its route that is problematic.
Not bad for a country that was a huge oil exporter and a country that is now become a huge renewable power exporter. But don’t take my word for it. Consider locally our bit of the A82 from around Duck Bay to Milton and consider our local issues.
How many times in the road blocked with accidents around Milton? How many accidents have there been around the Lomondgate Roundabout which is too small. How may accidents at the Duck Bay junction? It’s grim, grim, grim and all the time we build more housing developments. And Flamingo Land – that will just add to it.
Anyway, just another couple of crashes last night. They’ll sadly not be the last. That’s for sure.