Traffic bans in Edinburgh are o be made permanent after an 18-month trial.
In a bid to promote cycling, walking, and improve pedestrian safety, council chiefs introduced controversial plans to restrict vehicle access to certain parts of the city. The changes, which will remain in force until August 18, include a ban on motorists on Edinburgh‘s Cockburn Street (pictured), part of High Street, Victoria Street, West Bow Street, and parts of Waverly Bridge, says the Scottish Sun.
Waiting restrictions were also implemented on Cockburn Street, Victoria Street, West Bow, and Waverly Bridge, where restrictions are enforced 24 hours a day.
Yesterday, at a Traffic Regulation Orders subcommittee meeting, councillors voted to make these changes permanent, It was also proposed that another traffic ban enforced in the eastern part of the the city centre be made permanent.
Set to continue until October this year, it encompasses London Road and along the A1 corridor, including Duddingston Road, Duddingston Road West, King’s Place, Seafield Street, Seafield Road East, Hope Lane, and Stanley Street. However,councillors chose to postpone that decision due to uncertainty over whether permanent infrastructure can be put in place to accommodate it.
Councillor for Edinburgh’s Morningside ward Marie Clair Munro criticised the plans on social media, writing: “I have grave reservations about the Council’s plan to ban through traffic on key city centre routes such as North Bridge, Cowgate, and The Mound. I’ve raised these concerns repeatedly at the Transport Committee, but they have, regrettably, fallen on deaf ears. These proposals risk diverting traffic onto already congested roads like Lothian Road, increasing delays, harming local businesses, and disrupting daily life—all with little evidence that they will deliver meaningful improvements.”
(Pic: Mapillary)
