ROADS in the Borders are deteriorating faster than in any other rural part of Scotland.

A new report has found that carriageways across the region are almost four per cent worse than they were two years ago.

The Road Condition Index showed that some areas, such as Argyll & Bute and Perth & Kinross, have shown condition improvements since the last survey in 2013.

But inspectors found that more than 45 per cent of road surfaces in the Scottish Borders are in a poor state - an increase of 3.8 per cent, which is the biggest leap of the eight rural authorities examined.

The report was published as part of a review of the state of the A72, which runs from Galashiels into the South Lanarkshire through the Tweed Valley.

Tweeddale councillors requested a condition report on the road as well as statistics on accident rates and traffic flow.

The paper, published by Scottish Borders Council’s infrastructure manager Colin Ovens and network manager Brian Young, also reveals comparative figures from similar authorities.

The roads bosses identified sections of road between Blyth Bridge and Wester Happrew, Peebles High Street, Walkerburn, and Clovenfords were in need of most attention.

But they highlighted the problems faced with carrying out the repairs.

Mr Ovens stated: “The, at times, narrow width and torturous nature of the route mean that essential maintenance can often only be done safely through a road closure.

“The route has also been prone to emergency closures in the past as a result of landslips and/or traffic accidents.

“As a valley route the alternative routing choices in these circumstances are few and either considerably longer or on less suitable roads.

“For this reason a specific Action Plan was developed, in conjunction with the police, to help deal with the issues associated with closures on the A72.” The findings have led to local MSP Jim Hume demanding action.

The Lib-Dem is calling on the SNP government to tackle, what he describes as, a road quality crisis.

Mr Hume said: “This index will only underline what many road users in the Borderers have known for some time.

“What the SNP government fails to understand in our rural areas is that road use still remains the main mode of transport for business, for people going to work and generally moving around, so when the roads simply aren’t up to scratch this can have a significant impact on things like wear and tear on vehicles which is ultimately an added cost for people.

“It doesn’t send out a very welcoming message to prospective visitors.

“With the Borders rail link opening that will certainly take some pressure off Galashiels and the surroundings areas, but there are huge parts of the rest of the Borders that won’t be served by trains so road remains the only other option.

“The Transport Minister needs to listen to the results of this index and take responsibility for investment in the A72 as a trunk road, but also ensure that the local authority is properly resourced to deal with this road quality crisis.”