Are businesses paying too high a price for 7-7-7 bus lanes? - Steve Cardownie

I encountered a log jam of cars from Abbeyhill to Jock’s Lodge while to my left the bus lanes were by and large devoid of the host of buses we were told used the lanes.

I then drove back the way I came and could see that drivers were becoming increasingly frustrated with the new restrictions, especially when they could see that only a few buses were using the lanes.

In an effort to persuade us that 7-7-7 bus lanes are a necessary evil the city council informs us on their website that “Reliable and efficient bus services , are essential for getting around the city, encourage more people to chose public transport over the car (there you have it) and provide a vital transport option for many residents who do not have access to a private vehicle.” Most of which sounds reasonable- but at what cost?

Is the environment improved by forcing cars to sit for an inordinate amount of time on congested roads alongside bus lanes that used to be accessible outwith peak times?

A report titled ‘Trial of 7-7-7 Bus Lanes’ was submitted to the Transport and Environment Committee of 15 August 2024 which stated that “Loading surveys will be arranged to quantify loading requirements in locations where local exemptions for loading and parking may be permitted to support business (for example Dalry, Abbeyhill and Jock’s Lodge.”)

Yet yesterday’s Evening News spotlighted comments from local businesses that had already noted a sharp downturn in custom and were fearful that if this continued, they would not survive, with Nikki Boyd, who runs Nikki’s Fleurs predicting that “The chances are my business is going to go under. In 18 months, my shop will not be here.”

However, this trial is likely to be deemed to be a success and the roll out across the city will commence.