A CARELESS motorist has driven down a ‘Tram Only’ lane – the wrong way towards oncoming traffic.
Onlookers watched as a driver ignored two ‘no entry’ signs along West Maitland Street in Edinburgh’s West End on Tuesday afternoon – and made their way towards an approaching tram.
The motorist obliviously continued to drive roughly 100m along the lane until they were forced to make a prohibited turn across two other lanes onto Grosvenor Street.
Fortunately, no vehicles were crossing the junction at the time, but an eyewitness reported that a tram was on approach.
A picture shows the car as it made the illegal turn was shared on Scotland’s Worst Drivers website, which “shames bad driving north of the Border”.
The eyewitness, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I was trying to cross the road at Haymarket junction looking to walk along Dalry Road. I looked right and saw a tram leaving the stop, and looked left and saw a car heading along the same line as the tram.
“I’ve seen plenty of bicycles heading along the tram and bus route but this is the first time I’ve seen a car. It could have been a head on collision with the tram, but thankfully the car driver made the decision to turn down Grosvenor Street.
“I’m not exactly sure what the car driver was thinking – they can’t blame sat nav, that street has always been one way city bound.
“I walk along Shandwick Place regularly and I often see vehicles completely ignoring the signs.”
West Maitland Street has been the site of several accidents concerning confusion over the tram line – in August last year a tram and a bus collided during the morning rush hour traffic, sparking tailbacks across the city.
In January of this year 60 Edinburgh cyclists went to court to sue the Edinburgh City Council for more than half a million pounds over the installation of the tram lines, which have led to broken jaws, cheekbones and collarbones for many riders.
The confusion and accidents that have followed the installation of the tram line only adds to the chaos that has plagued the entire project. The trams were opened £365m over budget, three years late, and with only half of the originally planned route.
