Hapless Edinburgh driver mounts pavement and gets van stuck on notorious city steps

An Edinburgh driver has found themselves stuck on a set of steps – making them the fourth person get trapped in the notorious spot in a matter of weeks.

An photo shared with the Evening News shows a white van stuck on the steps leading to Greenside Lane, next to the Theatre Royal bar, at around 11.30am on Monday (February 5).

Other such incidents have been reported in recent weeks, with drivers apparently being directed by Google Maps across a cycle lane and the pavement and then down the pedestrian steps to access Greenside Lane, despite this access point clearly no longer being an option.

An Edinburgh driver has found themselves stuck on a notorious set of steps – making them the fourth person get trapped there in a matter of weeks. Photo: Martin McMullen

Google has said the issue has now been resolved, with drivers now directed in the correct direction via Greenside Row, but it doesn’t seemed to have stopped hapless drivers getting stuck on the steps.

Last month, we reported that “additional safety measures” are being explored in a bid to stop motorists driving down the steps and getting stuck.

The council’s transport convener Scott Arthur said he was exploring “additional safety measures” for the spot to avoid it happening again.

“Sat Nav is an incredibly useful tool, but it’s no substitute for common sense,” he said. “Cars and trucks don’t go down steps.”

The council has now also requested Apple Maps to make the same correction as Google.

Cllr Arthur said: “As part of Trams to Newhaven, Greenside Lane was blocked off to traffic some time ago and steps installed. This is in compliance with the Edinburgh Street Design Guidance and similar to other set-ups across the city, such as on the Lawnmarket.”

He added: “No issues were raised as part of the Road Safety Audit for the project and Google Maps was recently updated to reflect the new layout and a request for a correction has been sent to Apple Maps.

“In the interim we’re exploring additional safety measures. Sat Nav is an incredibly useful tool, but it’s no substitute for common sense. Cars and trucks don’t go down steps.”