Residents rage as Pilrig Street bus stops closed '˜until further notice'

Local residents in the north of Edinburgh have vented their fury after a number of bus stops were closed on Pilrig Street due to 'parked vehicles' in what has been described as a 'long-running issue'.
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The narrow street located just off Leith Walk is the only vehicular route from Leith Walk to Newhaven, with some residents claiming it has become “so dangerous to cross” and is being used as a “park and ride”.

The owners of a B&B located on the street tweeted last night to inform their followers that Lothian Buses had closed all bus stops “due to vehicles parked in bus stops”, along with a picture of a sign attached to the bus stop.

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The Lothian sign read: “Bus stop closed. Closed from: Thursday 9th August 2018. Duration: Until further notice. Cause: Parked vehicles. Effect: Service 11 will not serve Pilrig Street and will be diverted via: Broughton Road and McDonald Road.”

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Alternative bus stops can be found on Broughton Road and McDonald Road.”

A number of locals and public transport users took to Twitter to express their anger at the issue, with some even calling for Pilrig Street to be made one way.

@Fatblackcatspaw said: “Why are public transport users being penalised? This is outrageous. Sort it out.”

Residents are unhappy after bus stops were closed on Pilrig Street. Picture: Wikimedia CommonsResidents are unhappy after bus stops were closed on Pilrig Street. Picture: Wikimedia Commons
Residents are unhappy after bus stops were closed on Pilrig Street. Picture: Wikimedia Commons
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@BCClets asked: “Has no one been fined for obstruction? No vehicles been towed away?”

@AlexAlexjwhite wrote: “It shows the council’s disregard for public transport, if they won’t mark bus stops on the road.”

@DavyBarlow tweeted: “The problem is general parking - especially the increase in vans being left here and SUV type cars getting wider, exacerbated by no/worn bus stop markings at the Bonnington end... which for some means a parking free for all. First priority should be fixing those immediately.”

@zebratrucks added: “Pilrig Street is the only vehicular route from Leith Walk to Newhaven, with McDonald Road calmed and little alternative. It needs to be kept running. Ban parking on one side? Or ban guesthouses promoting free parking?”

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@runmymouth said: “11 and N11 is crucial for me to get home feeling safe at night. We pay enough in council tax to deserve capable infrastracture.”

Green Councillor for Leith Chas Booth said he has raised the issue with council officers as “high priority”. He added: “We need reliable buses along Pilrig St & across the city.”

Spokesperson for Lothian: “Due to daily occurrences of service disruption caused by poorly parked vehicles on Pilrig Street, we have been forced to divert our Service 11 until the situation is rectified. While we appreciate this is an inconvenience for our customers, we believe this will remove any uncertainty over service provision at these bus stops. We are in discussions with The City of Edinburgh Council and hope the matter can be resolved quickly for the benefit of our customers.”

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