Edinburgh buses force residents in East London Street to launch petition after 'brutal' noise and disruption

One resident said the disruption at all-hours is a ‘nightmare’ and has driven him out of his home.

Residents in Edinburgh's New Town have hit out at Lothian Buses over ‘brutal' noise and disruption from out of service buses using their street at all hours.

People living in East London Street, near the Lothian Buses central depot, said they have seen more than 300 buses on the street in one day, despite not having stops for any service route. The street is being used as a cut through by buses starting or finishing shifts due to local roadworks. A recent survey saw residents claim it was becoming a ‘rat run’ for buses, vans and lorries and now they have launched a fresh petition calling for urgent noise reduction measures.

Ross MacCallum, who lives in a first-floor flat on the street, said: "It’s brutal. We have had to leave our home and go and stay somewhere else hopefully just for a few months. Our main bedroom is at the front but we use the smaller one at the back. Even then you get woken at all hours of the morning then they are in and out all day long when trying to work from home. There’s no escape or respite from it.

Out of service buses on East London Street are causing noise and disruption for residents

"We moved in there in 2018 and saw it wasn’t on any bus route so thought it’d be a quiet residential street. But it’s a primary diversion route for the Trams project. At one point we’ve had more than 300 buses in one day. It affects your mental and physical health, wears you down. It’s just a total nightmare.”

The 59-year-old along with a group of residents and the local community council arranged a noise study which found ‘a strong case’ for urgent noise reduction measures to be carried out to protect the health of residents.

Concerns have been cited by residents about all traffic noise, deterioration of the road itself and significant problems being caused at school drop off times for St Mary’s RC Primary on the street. Some also mentioned their fear that once the Low Emission Zone becomes operational, further traffic will be displaced onto East London Street. One said the street had changed in recent years from a quiet residential area to a ‘major thoroughfare’.

Mr MacCallum, who works in sales, added: “People are suffering but we’ve just been palmed off by Lothian Buses. They told us traffic would reduce once North Bridge reopened to traffic both ways. That hasn’t happened. There’s a similar problem on many streets mainly because of the use of these streets by out of service buses and other traffic being diverted to avoid road closures and congestion. The buses could be diverted down another route like Green Street which hardly has any homes on it or the times limited.”

Ross MacCallum is one of residents calling for noise reduction measures

The petition is calling for a reduction in the number of buses running between the hours of 7pm and 7am, urgent repairs to the road surface as well as a long-term plan for the street. They also want to see setts replaced with tarmac in the central running lanes to reduce noise and vibration as has already been undertaken in the adjacent London Street.

Lothian Buses has been contacted for comment.

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