Edinburgh Council traffic restrictions must be obeyed even if they're unbelievably stupid – John McLellan

Even though she holds me in the same regard as Jeremy Clarkson does Meghan Markle, I have to admire Green councillor Susan Rae’s determination to confront drivers ignoring the new ban on left turns from Leith Walk onto London Road.

Edinburgh campaigners and Councillor Susan Rae form a human shield at the Leith Walk to London Road junction

The hit and run at the junction last week is as good an illustration as any of the consequences of drivers flouting restrictions and catching pedestrians unawares. But it should also be no surprise that some drivers might think it’s just another council blunder and ignore the signs because they can’t believe traffic officials would be that daft to stop a left turn from one main thoroughfare onto another.

Anyone driving up Leith Walk for the first time would be entitled to think that someone had taken leave of their senses to think it’s an improvement to force them to drive up to Picardy Place and then double back for a right turn back to where they were in the first place.

And if I was still representing Craigentinny and Duddingston, my inbox would be full of residents complaining about yet another disruption to their main route to and from the city centre, and they would have a point.

But like the decision to divert heavy goods vehicles along Northfield Broadway past the Royal High Primary because of another left-turn ban, I wouldn’t expect their concerns to be heeded. The new rules need to be followed, but when a relatively problem-free junction becomes “lawless” overnight, it’s not just the fault of the drivers.