More than 900 speeding offences on one of the region's busiest roads last year, new data shows

More than nine hundred speeding offences were recorded on one of the region's busiest roads last year, data obtained by ITV News Border shows.

A top speed of 111 mph was recorded on the road last year, almost double the national speed limit for single carriageways.

There are no average speed cameras on the road. The number of speeding offences has increased each year since 2021, according to the data obtained via a Freedom of Information request.

The rise in speeding offences could be linked to an increase in the number of days police vans are in operation on the road - 229 days in 2023, compared to 224 in 2021.

"It's a very important road for Scotland and Ireland. It links two countries," said John Miller, a haulage contractor who has worked in the area for over forty years.

"There's a lot to do on the road to make it safe."

The A75 stretches 95 miles from Gretna to Stranraer, it's used by people travelling across the region, as well as freight transport from Scotland to Northern Ireland via the port at Cairnryan.

Local businesses believe if sections of the road is closed it can have a serious impact on local economy.

At wedding venue Laggan, near Gatehouse of Fleet, Managing Director Duncan McConchie said: "We saw this six weeks ago when there was a tree that the Roads Department believed was going to fall down and we had to wait for 6 hours for a specialist to come from Glasgow.

"In the meantime, we had a wedding here. We have a bride with no hair and makeup. Wedding guests can't get here. Our team can't get here.

"We were totally stranded and had absolutely no way of anybody accessing our property. This was where it becomes a lifeline for us, the A75. At the same point, we're so reliant on it as a business."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Targeting speeding is a priority for Police Scotland. Officers routinely carry out marked and unmarked patrols on the A75, enforcement activity to deter speeding and detect those who choose to break the law."

In a statement Transport Scotland said: “The Scottish and UK Governments had agreed that investment is required on the A75.

"The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ms Hyslop, has raised the matter with the UK Secretary of State for Transport confirming our position, and will continue to do so in order to safeguard the ambitions of the South of Scotland, and beyond.

“We are committed to improving safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 for freight and other road users."

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