Welcome to our city of Edinburgh, roadworks capital - Fiona Duff
I know that this makes sound like Mrs Grumpy (which I probably am and have a Mr Grumpy to live with), but why are there always so many roadworks in Edinburgh?
I remember the chaos of when the tram system was being created, which not only made getting about a nightmare but also managed to kill off several businesses along the route.
I am not a globetrotter, but do on occasion travel abroad and there’s nowhere that I have noticed that has as many cones blocking streets and great holes in the road.
There just doesn’t seem to be anyone in charge who can co-ordinate these. For example, Melville Street had a one way system for around two years as they installed cobbles and a couple of park benches around the statue.
Then, not so suddenly, it was re-opened and occasionally I even saw someone sitting upon one of the benches, the cost of which was eye-watering merely for someone to rest their weary tootsies once a month.
Within a couple of months cones reappeared, cutting off the junction of Walker Street and Melville Street. The carefully placed new cobbles are lying in a pile and whatever is meant to be happening has been going at a snail’s pace for the past month or two.
To be honest, I think snails probably move a bit quicker and are definitely more prevalent than whoever is doing the work at this spot.
Last week a sign appeared outside my door to say that half our street would have no parking between last Friday and the end of this week.
One inquisitive neighbour phoned Scottish Water, for it was they whose number was on the sign, and discovered there was some pipe work required. Oddly enough it was on a property at the other end of the street. Friday came, a Scottish Water van appeared for about half an hour and then vanished. No-one has been seen since.
According to aforementioned neighbour, the work was actually cancelled on the day it was meant to start, but the council can’t be bothered to remove the signs nor the cones. As if parking in the centre of town isn’t a pain in the bahookie as it is. If only I could find a statue of a man on a horse, I know what I would do with the cones.