Edinburgh roads: Parents plead for bigger road safety budget after uncovering '25 year backlog' on improvements
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Parent councils from 53 primary and secondary schools - representing more than half of Edinburgh’s state schools - have written to MSPs and councillors, urging an increase in road safety funding, which they say is needed to keep children safe.
The parents obtained figures through Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation showing that, as of June 2024, there were 96 red flag sites on Edinburgh City Council’s speed reduction list.


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Hide AdBut only 19 roads have been improved in the past five years. And the parents say at that rate, it would take 25 years before all the roads currently on the list saw improvement works carried out.
The FoI statistics were gathered after 11-year-old Thomas Wong was killed in a collision with a bin lorry as he cycled to school in March last year.
In their letter, the parents say they believe that in the current situation, it is only a matter of time before another tragedy occurs.
They say another FOI response showed that, in 2023/24, the road safety budget was £1.5m, which was just one per cent of the total road and transport budget for that year.
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Hide AdAnd they call for an increased road safety budget to tackle the backlog and say future changes shuld be made within a year of a site being identified for speed reduction measures
Kim Pratt, vice chair of the Davidson’s Mains Primary School Parent Council, said: “A 25 year backlog in speed reduction measures is condemning every child in Edinburgh to navigating unsafe roads for the rest of their school days.
“No child should be risking their life when traveling to school and it’s unacceptable that safety recommendations are being ignored.”
She said Davidson’s Mains parents had identified improvement to a crossing at the junction of Main Street and Silverknowes Road South as their top priority because it was used by around a third of the school’s pupils every day and there were very narrow pavements.
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Hide Ad“The council agreed to make some changes, but they have not taken forward any of the suggestions at all.”
Ms Pratt continued: “We do understand that the council is under financial pressure but getting children to school safely must be a priority.
“The call from parent councils from across Edinburgh shows that this is a systemic problem. Politicians in Edinburgh have the power to protect our children by increasing road safety funding and by making road safety around schools a priority in all future road developments.”
Lynsey Houston, chair of Craiglockhart Parent and Carer Council said: “I know that since Craiglockhart parents first raised concerns about road safety, some of the children have now graduated high school!
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Hide Ad“A potential timescale of 25 years is ridiculous but highlights the desperate need for more resources. After all, when we ask for improvements, we are asking for our council and government to prevent a tragic outcome.”
Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said safety for all road users was a key priority for the council.
He said: “The Road Safety team manages the School Travel Plan programme for 140 schools in Edinburgh, with a focus on road safety education and interventions for our school communities.
“We are currently progressing infrastructure measures at a number of schools this year. We have a significant programme of improvement works scheduled to be undertaken over this and future years.
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Hide Ad“The programme includes the installation of physical infrastructure such as pedestrian crossings and footway widening, as well as implementation of parking restrictions and car-free School Streets at appropriate locations near schools.
“An increased focus on school road safety will be a priority for me and the administration going forward.”
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