Edinburgh Spaces for People: Council must apologise for causing mayhem in the city – Helen Martin

There are thousands of people (including me) who were delighted to hear Edinburgh City Council’s internal auditors launch a damning report on the city’s Spaces for People disaster.

Some Spaces for People projects have proved to be controversial (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

The arrangement was ridiculous with cycle lanes, parking slots, extended pavements and bus routes dangerously snarled up together, roads closed causing hideous congestion, traffic jams and longer routes.

Many shops and businesses complained that customer numbers had reduced with no local parking and the impossibility for the elderly and the disabled to access shops and services. And how were blind people’s dogs supposed to understand and follow these ridiculous rules?

But the biggest issue was that there was no proper consultation with the public in each community. There were many thousands who signed petitions against illogical and horrific Spaces for People creations. And there was a huge hope among the public that none of these crazy road adjustments would be permanent.

What the SNP and Labour leaders didn’t understand was how badly Spaces for People was damaging their political popularity in the city.

As I had signed up to the SNP and voted for them when it came to the government, I also hoped many people would not vote again for them as councillors.

Most of us agreed with cycle lanes, some wider pavements and other aspects if they were properly constructed in wide roads. But in Edinburgh, so many roads were too narrow to accommodate all these, increasing the danger rather than reducing it.

The council has no right to refuse to apologise for their chaotic mess and mayhem.

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