Petition launched to urge council to reconsider Edinburgh bus lane trial plans
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Petition launched to urge council to reconsider bus lane trial plans
A petition has been launched asking the City of Edinburgh Council to reconsider proposed bus lane changes in the Capital.
Submitted by local business owner Nikki Boyd—owner of Nikki’s Fleurs on Wolseley Place—it urges the council to reassess the impact on local businesses, residents, the elderly and disabled people.
The 7-7-7 trial was announced in August and will see bus lanes in force from 7am to 7pm seven days a week on a route between Greenside and Duddingston over 18 months from October this year.
Following the trial, a decision is due to be made on whether to make the change in restrictions - which are currently in place between 7.30am and 9.30am and 4pm and 6.30pm Monday to Friday - permanent.
In her proposal to City of Edinburgh Council, Ms Boyd said: “While we understand the importance of improving public transport, these changes cannot come at the expense of the small businesses that serve our communities every day.
“The businesses along this stretch rely heavily on passing trade and customers being able to stop nearby. This includes florists, hairdressers, food businesses and other independent shops.
“Many customers are elderly, disabled or have limited mobility and simply cannot park a significant distance away and walk. Businesses also depend on practical access for deliveries, collections and loading throughout the working day. Removing or severely restricting this access risks reducing footfall and putting already struggling independent businesses under even greater financial pressure.
“If businesses can no longer afford to survive, Edinburgh risks being left with more empty shops and declining local high streets. We ask the council to pause and reconsider these proposals, consult properly with affected businesses and residents, and find a solution that improves public transport while protecting accessibility, loading, parking and the future of our local businesses.”
Last week, Ms Boyd told the Edinburgh Evening News that she feared businesses could close as a result of the trial.
She said: “The wee baked potato shop next door to me is another perfect example. A huge part of his business is passing trade, particularly between 11am and 2pm at lunchtime, with Saturday being one of his busiest days. People want to stop, grab their lunch and go. They’re not going to park streets away and walk back—they’ll simply go somewhere else.
“That’s what worries me. It might look like a small inconvenience on a council plan, but when you multiply that across every independent business along the route, it could have a massive financial impact.”
The petition will be considered by the council when it reaches either 200 signatures from people aged 16+ who live within the City of Edinburgh Council area, or 20 businesses that are on the Valuation Roll.
Ms Boyd believes that the support she has received so far will lead to the petition reaching its target.
She said: “Considering the amount of support we’ve already had, I know we can absolutely smash that.
“This isn’t just about my wee flower shop. These proposed bus lane hours are going to affect businesses, customers, residents, tradespeople and deliveries right across the area and if we don’t make a noise about it now, we can’t complain afterwards.”
You can find the petition here.