PLANS for how road safety in Edinburgh can be improved and enhanced have been outlined following a number of crashes in the city in recent weeks.
Transport and environment convener, councillor Stephen Jenkinson, has said that increased funding has been dedicated to improving the condition of roads with £11m in 2023/24 and £12.5m in 2024/25.
This comes after a meeting of the transport and environment committee last week, which discussed the roll out of a 20mph speed limit across over 60 streets in the city, as well as multiple other plans regarding safety on Edinburgh’s roads.
The committee also acknowledged the tragic death of a 74-year-old man in Cowgate, after being hit by a single-decker bus, which preceded another crash between a pedestrian and a bus in Haymarket on Saturday.
A 34-year-old man was rushed to hospital on Saturday after a crash involving a bus on West Maitland Street.
Road closures were in place for several hours, and drivers were urged to avoid the area where possible.
Work is being done to improve the condition of Edinburgh’s roads, and the percentage of roads which should be considered for investment has decreased by 4.5% since 2023.
Stephen Jenkinson, in an article with the Edinburgh Reporter, stated that the council have undertaken major resurfacing works in multiple locations, such as London Road and Niddrie Mains Road.
The Edinburgh branch of Living Streets, a UK charity that promotes better walking environments in cities, posted to social media today regarding construction underway near Fountainpark.
The caption reads: “Good to see another long-awaited pedestrian crossing improvement talking shape (at long last!) at Yeaman Place/Dundee Street”.
Despite this, results in a report undertaken by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland found that the total number of people killed or injured on Scotland’s roads has increased each year since 2020.
The report, released in November, states that since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013, data shows there has been a 63% drop in the number of road traffic offences being detected and recorded.
They also found that while there has been a reduction in serious injuries on Edinburgh’s roads over the last three years there has been no reduction in fatalities in the same period.
The HM chief inspector of constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, stated: “It has now sadly become an all too regular occurrence to read about another death on Scotland’s roads.
“It appears there is a societal acceptance around such tragedies, but it is utterly unacceptable and almost every death is preventable.
“The recent increases in road casualties are complex, and there is no single factor that has caused this trend.
“However, we are concerned that at a time when casualties are increasing, Police Scotland has decreased rather than increased its enforcement activity in this high-priority area.”
Stephen Jenkinson, who represents Scottish Labour in the Pentland Hills, says that he has consulted with Police Scotland on reducing speed limits in rural areas, and has their support.
He said: “There is an undeniable link between the speed at which incidents and collisions take place and the likelihood of injury or death.
“I’m confident that these measures will have a positive impact in terms of road user safety once they’re implemented.”
In a response to the reports, Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said today: “We are grateful to HMICS and are already working to meet some of the recommendations.
“Road policing officers are out every day educating road users and carrying out enforcement. It is encouraging to see our work with road safety partners to embed crucial behaviour change recognised in this report.
“The Chief Constable has been clear policing must evolve to meet demand, with a focus on enabling frontline officers and staff to deliver for communities.
“As part of this, we have outlined that we will identify and implement a sustainable model for road policing.”
In regard to the crash at Haymarket, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Inquiries are ongoing.”
