Edinburgh City Council: Number of injury claims against the Spaces for People road layouts revealed

Just a handful of insurance claims have been lodged against the council by people allegedly injured by the Spaces for People road layouts, the Edinburgh Evening News can reveal.

The controversial scheme, which is intended to promote walking and cycling in the Capital, was launched with a £5 million grant from the Scottish Government in April 2020.

Since then, just three public liability claims have been made against Edinburgh City Council by people who allege that they were injured after tripping over newly-installed “street furniture”, such as widened pavements.

The revelation comes despite safety concerns over the scheme raised in November by a sight loss charity.

Just a handful of insurance claims have been lodged against the council by people allegedly injured by the Spaces for People road layouts, the EEN can reveal. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Guide Dogs Scotland highlighted concerns around the use of “floating bus stops” that require pedestrians to step into the road before and after they board public transport.

It also urged the Council to ensure partially sighted people are properly notified of any changes to road layouts, including use of accessible maps online.

It is understood that only one of the three tripping incidents is currently being handled by insurance claim handlers, while the remaining two are at various stages of the complaints process.

A separate claim has also been lodged by someone who alleges their vehicle was damaged due to Spaces for People road layout changes.

Last month, the scheme was awarded a further £2 million from the Scottish Government via Sustrans - on top of its original grant of £5 million.

The council said the funding would help it complete the programme of temporary measures, as well as carry out road and pavement resurfacing and remove more street clutter.

Commenting on the injury claims, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, Councillor Karen Doran, said: “These measures are first and foremost about creating a safer environment for all residents to move around the city while physically distancing.

“Our officers have worked extremely hard to identify priority areas and pinch points for improvements and we’ve had lots of positive feedback from members of the public who have found the changes beneficial.

“Of course we want everyone to share in these benefits and would appreciate any feedback on the measures in place.”

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