In light of the transport paralysis that occurs throughout Inverclyde when it comes to the subject of road maintenance on the A8/A78 trunkroads we see constant finger-waving between Transport Scotland and Inverclyde Council representatives and lots of column inches, yet very little gets done. Is it time people of Inverclyde demand an end to this charade?

The following are examples of gross negligence & lack of investment at best but of serious road safety concerns and now implications to emergency response at worst:
 - Unresolved continuous Pottery Street/Ladyburn A8 Flooding issue
 - Seriously delayed safe junction for transit into & out of Inverkip with traffic lights or roundabout
 - Permanent land closure on High Street at Bullring Roundabout
 - Branchton intersection and its wider impact on A78 ingress/egress traffic along the south-west corridor at IBM

Many officials have "ready-made speeches" about how its this organisation holding things up, or that one. Fact is, nothing will change unless a concerted effort is formed to force change.

Is it time for a sustained, meaningful and legal framework driven by service-users and members of the public that forces both Transport Scotland and Inverclyde Council to face up to their responsibilities, put an end to the constant blame game and procrastination? Road repairs and potholes may be cliche but take a few minutes to think about what I'm saying.

Whilst our roads remain vital links for getting around it is important to remember that in an era of the centralisation of Inverclyde's health services which are promoting more and more blue-light emergency services to hospitals outside the area, the issue of having accessible, well maintained and flowing traffic is no longer just a matter of convenience, but arguably a matter of life & death.

Public transport deserves better service from our roads network. Private car owners shouldn't have to fork out thousands for damage caused by a lack of investment. Congestion near schools is a concern not just for the safety aspect but also the environmental impact on young lungs. The minutes and hours spent in traffic queues over the course of a week is something many will share. If you are a business owner and looking to relocate here but journey into Inverclyde on a wet day and sit in the now seemingly permanent single-lane roadworks due to flooding near Cappielow, would it make you think twice about basing your business here?

So why is it acceptable for us to watch grown adults bleat in the press that "its the other guy that needs to do it", its pathetic, it's lazy, it's a dereliction of duties and as I've mentioned above it can have serious knock on economic, safety & health consequences.

This petition is being organised to create a group and response that forces these two organisations together, to work to our benefit with expectations of an immediate improvement and framework with timelines for delivery.  As petition signatories we demand urgent action and not loose unaccountable or unattributed words.