Edinburgh's "most dangerous" junction - your views online

City of Edinburgh Council to ban HGVs turning left at city's 'most dangerous' junction of Portobello High Street and Sir Harry Lauder Road
Junction of Portobello High Street and Sir Harry Lauder RoadJunction of Portobello High Street and Sir Harry Lauder Road
Junction of Portobello High Street and Sir Harry Lauder Road

Kim Murray

To be fair the cycle lane goes straight through the left turn onto Harry Lauder Road. Who thought that would be safe?

Stuart Young

Motorway restrictions should apply to the area and bicycles should really use the designated cycle path on Fishwives Causeway.

Rachael Anne Beuzeville

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So rerouting cyclists on a small light frame wasn't preferable to rerouting heavy goods vehicles who can cause damage to building foundations if high enough usage on residential streets. I mean, the transport committee and those who sit on it know this right? They aren't just lay people with no knowledge of the impact of HGV routes on infrastructure? Because with a decision like that they seem to be.

Edward Peters

Try making cyclists pass a proficiency theory test before allowing them to use roads. I doubt many of them would pass it. Every day you see horrendous behaviour by cyclists ignoring basic rules of the road.

Dougie Begg

All these cyclist should get off the road and into cars, and if that makes the road too congested, then we can use the promenade as a road, it is wide enough - pedestrians can walk on the beach. There is also far too much green and recreational areas that should be nice car parks, and if that causes too much pollution we can wear respirators. These health conscious, planet loving, Lycra clad cyclists should know their place.

Tracy Grieve

So they are not OK with cyclists being hit but want the HGVs to go past the school and potentially hit a kid? This clowncil really has its priorities wrong. There are plenty of other routes cyclists can use, why not encourage them to use them? They wanted them but never use them.

Grant McLaren

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Incredible decision again by our council! Who comes up with these ideas? Taking HGVs up past schools, pubs, shops etc! Probably taken a year and 100 Zoom calls to come up with that idea!

Shona Bain

1. Cyclists should sit a test and have insurance and be liable/responsible like everyone else on roads. 2. Busy junctions exactly like this should ban cyclists unless walking bikes and using pedestrian crossings. 3. It should be compulsory for cyclists to use the very near and safe cyclist pathways (perhaps widen these to accommodate higher usage) which are great. Why would you want to put your life in danger at a busy junction with this alternative? 4. The actual corner is full of cement and bushes here. Can this not be reconstructed and developed as a softer more visible wider space. 5. Lack of consideration of how this change affects other streets in the area is concerning to say the least. No forward thinking short fix chaos.

Chris Japp

Maybe they should introduce some form of hazard awareness course for cyclists before they're allowed to use roads. Some cyclists have zero common sense when using roads.

Gavin Moore

If cyclists think it's OK to go up the side of an HGV or even a bus and sit at the side of it then they’re the only ones to blame. How do they expect someone sitting 6ft above them to see them.

Sandra Cairns

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This is ridiculous. Diverting HGV’s that need to turn left through a heavily populated residential area, past a primary school, play park and secondary school, also adding a long detour time to the HGV driver’s route. This solution can’t suit anyone. Surely the best short term option would be to have clear signage for cyclists to use the prom and Fishwives Causeway. It will soon be dark with the kids walking to and from school, particularly the older ones, this is putting more lives in danger.

Peter Keenan

Nothing but sympathy for the families of the two people who passed away. However, this is a ridiculous idea! SHL road is a main thoroughfare to the A1 and City Bypass. To divert HGVs from it is utter stupidity. An easier option would be to simply open up the through road that used to be there from Baileyfield – but that wouldn’t make sense would it!

Steven Oliver

Once again, Lesley Macinnes chooses to listen to the cyclist pressure groups rather than to the police. The Portobello junction worked perfectly fine when it was a roundabout. There are two, long-established cycle routes in the area, Fishwives Causeway and the Promenade, both of which avoid the junction entirely. Cyclists should be encouraged to use these instead.

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