Tram works prompt review to cut Edinburgh delays

15 October 2008

A major review into minimising delays to traffic during tram works in Edinburgh has been carried out.

Tram utility works caused traffic gridlock earlier this month, and a meeting with representatives from the City of Edinburgh Council, tie, Lothian and Borders Police and Lothian Buses was held to discuss the issue.

Key decisions made included setting up a new peer review group, chaired by the council’s head of transport, to scrutinise all traffic-management proposals and associated contingency plans. Another suggestion was that Princess Street be reopened to buses and taxis in one direction for the duration of utility works carried out in the Mound/Princes Street junction.

Council parking attendants are to target traffic hotspots, including dealing with illegal loading and unloading, while a review of all other roadwork will be carried out to ensure effective programming during tram periods. Working more closely with Traffic Scotland will encourage the use of park-and-rides, and new temporary park-and-ride sites are being considered.

Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Jenny Dawe, said: ‘This is the biggest construction project Scotland has ever seen, and we apologise for the delays last Wednesday. I can assure drivers and travellers that actions have been taken to ensure we do everything we can to stop this happening again.’ T

here had been calls by deputy leader, Steve Cardownie, for tie chief executive, Willie Gallagher, to resign. However, Dawe said: ‘Our response to this will not be a knee-jerk reaction calling for somebody’s head.’

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