Council says it's 'too early to say' when Princes Street will reopen amid calls for emergency traffic measures
Campaigners say emergency bus measures are needed to ease knock-on congestion on George Street and surrounding area during the closure
The leader of Edinburgh council has said it is still “too early to say” when Princes Street will reopen, amid calls from public transport campaigners for emergency traffic measures to prevent “gridlock” on nearby streets.
The busy thoroughfare remains closed between South Charlotte Street and Frederick Street, five days after a major fire destroyed the former Debenhams building at 109-122 Princes Street.
Around 50 bus routes through the city centre have been rerouted until further notice, while trams are only operating between the airport and the West End.
It is understood police and fire officers are still on-site conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire, and structural engineers are still assessing the damage.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “We will reopen Princes Street as soon as it’s safe to do so but, with investigations ongoing at the site, it’s too early to say when that will be.
“This is one of our main thoroughfares, so I’m afraid it’s inevitable that its ongoing closure will lead to travel and other disruption in the city centre.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep the city moving and are working closely with our bus and tram colleagues to keep delays to a minimum.”
“I would urge people to plan ahead and continue following advice from the emergency services and transport operators.”
The ongoing disruption has sparked concerns about increased pressure on the city’s bus network, with tens of thousands of passengers being diverted daily via George Street and surrounding New Town corridors while the closure is in place.
Members of the Edinburgh Bus Users’ Group (EBUG) have published an open letter to Edinburgh council about the “unprecedented transport challenge” facing Edinburgh in the aftermath of the fire, calling on councillors to bring in emergency bus priority measures to prevent “total gridlock” in the area.
They said current bus diversions are leading to severe network delays and bus bunching, which they said will only get worse with the traffic restrictions coming into force as part of the council’s Summertime Streets programme this weekend.
The emergency measures include temporary bus-only lanes on George Street, which is bearing the brunt of diverted traffic, to allow buses to bypass private vehicles and delivery vans.
Campaigners are also calling for a temporary ban on daytime parking and loading, with delivery windows limited to off-peak night hours to protect bus corridors during these periods, as well as temporary adjustments to traffic signal timings at bottleneck intersections to give longer green phases to public transport.
A spokesperson for EBUG said: “Buses carry almost ten times more passengers in Edinburgh than any other form of public transport. When Princes Street closes, the city’s mobility depends entirely on keeping buses moving.
“We appreciate that council teams are working under immense pressure to assess the building’s structural safety.
“However, transport policy cannot sit on the sidelines during a long closure.
“We must protect the reliability of the bus network and ensure that Edinburgh keeps moving during this crisis.”