Your say: Slower roads will be a disaster for capital

THURSDAY morning's incident on Queensferry Road, which led to two hours of traffic jams and delays on the west side of the city is a timely reminder of the vital importance of free flowing roads.

File picture: Lisa Ferguson

Whilst the incident started on Queensferry Road, its effect soon spread to the many roads that fed into it. Not only were roads like Telford Road jammed up, but also in the opposite direction the A90 was hit. Indeed, between 9.30am and 10am, I calculated that my car averaged 3 miles per hour – walking pace!

This incident should encourage us to rethink two public policies – the spread of 20mph zones and the encouragement of cycling on all routes. Slower roads will, among other things, lead to more congestion. They will also encourage speedo-watching rather than driving with one’s full attention on the road ahead. During rush hour a single cyclist can reduce an entire line of traffic from third gear to first gear, thus lengthening everyone else’s journey and contributing to congestion.

Our rulers forget that wasting time means less money for business, less pay for the workers and less time for people to spend with their friends and families; it is high time they remembered.

Otto Inglis, Inveralmond Grove, Edinburgh