The Scottish Government’s announcement that it is bringing forward the dualling of the A9 at Slochd has been welcomed by Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament today following a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ms Roddick highlighted the importance of the section, which includes grade-separated junctions for Aviemore and [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick marked the 20th anniversary of the Railways Act (2005) in a speech to the Scottish Parliament today, celebrating the devolution of control over Scotland’s rail services as a powerful example of what Scotland can achieve with greater self-governance. She emphasised that independence would allow Scotland to take full control [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has commended the crucial work of local community transport initiatives, following a visit to Partnerships for Wellbeing in Inverness. The discussion focused on the challenges faced by individuals, including wheelchair users, in accessing essential healthcare appointments and social activities due to transport limitations. During her visit, Ms Roddick discussed [...]

Scheme to allow young islanders to use the ferry for free expanded to 19 to 21-year-olds A scheme allowing young islanders to travel to the mainland for free has been expanded to include 19- and 21-year-olds. This comes after months of hard work from campaigners, such as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and Roddick [...]

SNP MSP for the isles, Emma Roddick, has welcomed the news that the Scottish Government has confirmed the introduction of a procurement process for two new 140m Freight Flex vessels for the Northern Isles route. In response to a question from Emma Roddick, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport confirmed today that these vessels will replace [...]

Emma Roddick MSP delivered an address at the RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union’s conference in Inverness on Sunday, emphasising the critical role of rail workers and advocating for significant investment in Scotland’s, particularly the Highlands’, railway infrastructure. Addressing delegates from across the UK, Ms Roddick began by extending a warm Highland welcome, acknowledging the [...]

Emma Roddick MSP has welcomed the news that over 800 people have subscribed to the official A9 Dualling website. The milestone, confirmed by the Scottish Government, highlights the strong public interest in the crucial infrastructure project, but the SNP MSP suspects more people would be interested in signing up. The website, a direct result of [...]

SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick has welcomed the publication of a parliamentary report into the A9 dualling programme, stating that the onus is now on the Scottish Government to demonstrate its commitment to the revised delivery plan and rebuild public trust.  Speaking in the chamber, Emma made sure to highlight the [...]

Since the rollout of the free bus travel scheme, I have consistently argued that young islanders should be able to access the same benefits of those living on the mainland, through an expansion to inter-island ferries.  I often find myself making the point to some of my Central Belt colleagues that islanders rely on ferries [...]

Emma Roddick MSP has welcomed the Scottish Government’s renewed commitment to dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen, including constructing the Nairn Bypass. Speaking after receiving a response to her Government Initiated Question, Ms Roddick acknowledged the Cabinet Secretary’s determination to deliver these vital infrastructure projects and stressed the importance of providing clear timelines and [...]