The Scottish Greens have urged ministers to scrap plans to dual the A96 and focus on making public transport cheaper.

The Scottish Government committed to dualling the 86-mile road between Aberdeen and Inverness in 2011, but the SNP’s former coalition partner has said the plans will hinder attempts to hit emissions targets and would be too costly.

Speaking ahead of a statement in Holyrood on the publication of the A96 corridor review, the party’s transport spokesman Mark Ruskell called for the majority of the project to be scrapped.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell takes part in the Holyrood debate on social careGreen MSP Mark Ruskell takes part in the Holyrood debate on social care (Image: PA) “There is no economic or environmental case for dualling every square inch of the A96, and the SNP must accept this and halt the project,” he said.

“If the dualling project goes ahead, it will be incompatible with our goals to reduce the number of cars on our roads and cut climate emissions.

“We are already far behind where we need to be on our climate targets, and we cannot afford to pour billions of pounds into a project that will only push that target back even further if more cars are flying up and down the country.

“Some safety improvements and bypasses on the A96 are important, but the exorbitant sums set aside for fully dualling could be put to better use by investing in these safety improvements and better public transport, which could cut our emissions rapidly and give people choices other than travelling by car across Scotland.

“The climate assessment is long overdue, but we know that no review worth the paper it’s printed on would recommend ploughing ahead with such a climate-wrecking project.”

Mr Ruskell went on to urge the Scottish Government to end peak rail fares and introduce a £2 cap on bus fares.

“We badly need to cut the cost of public transport,” he said.

“The Scottish Government has just reintroduced peak rail fares, hiking up prices for workers and students who have no say over when they travel.”

Transport Scotland has been contacted for comment.

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Scottish Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber urged the Scottish Government to “ignore” the calls from the “extremist Greens”.

“Rural communities depend on the A96 and are desperate for the road to be dualled as quickly as possible, as the SNP previously promised to do so,” she added.

“The rowing back on their previous commitments means lives are continuing to be put at risk on this road.

“SNP ministers should be doing everything possible to dual this critical road as a top priority.”