A WELL-ATTENDED public meeting last week kicked off a consultation seeking insights from the people Selkirk about using the A7 in the town as pedestrians.

Transport Scotland and its operating company in South East Scotland, BEAR Scotland, is keen to understand local concerns regarding walking and wheeling and listen to ideas to enhance safety for pedestrians in Selkirk town centre.

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The consultation is an important first step to identifying and designing potential pedestrian improvements and encouraging more sustainable journeys in the town.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland Network Manager for the South East Trunk Road Unit was at the event on Thursday, November 2, in Victoria Halls, Selkirk.

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He said: “We monitor road safety across the trunk road network. Over the past few years there have been some injury incidents involving pedestrians on the A7 in Selkirk.

“Key to this is listening to the experiences of those who use Selkirk daily to shop, visit, go to school and work.

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“It was really good to speak to people first hand and hear their views at the meeting and we’re urging people to complete the survey so we can ensure that any improvements are evidence based.”

The survey can be accessed online here - https://walka7selkirk.commonplace.is

Hard copies of the survey forms are available at the Post Office as well as in Scott’s Selkirk.

The consultation went live on November  1 2023 and will run until Monday 11 December and the people of Selkirk are invited to contribute via an online consultation survey.

The community will be kept updated on findings and any future plans that may result from it.

While BEAR Scotland is only responsible for the A7 in Selkirk, it is liaising closely with Scottish Borders Council to ensure they are aware of all the findings from the consultation process.