Traffic will return to Princes Street, hints transport chief

Published on Wednesday 24 June 2009 10:22

TRAFFIC looks unlikely to remain banned from Princes Street once the tram works are complete after the city's transport leader raised doubts about the pedestrianisation plan.

Campaigners have called for temporary traffic measures – in which buses and taxis are diverted along George Street – to be made permanent.

But, in his first interview since taking over as the city's transport leader, Gordon Mackenzie told the Evening News the temporary measures would not work on a long-term basis because of the pressure they would put on George Street.

Mr Mackenzie also hit out at those calling for the 545 million tram project to be ditched, saying that to do so now would be "calamitous" for Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.

The Lib Dem councillor for Prestonfield, who took over from Phil Wheeler as transport leader, said measures to limit Princes Street to trams were likely to be opposed by both traders on George Street and the bus companies.

The council has commissioned a feasibility study looking into pedestrianisation after diversions brought in for the tram works in Princes Street proved a success.

But Mr Mackenzie said: "There is concern from traders in George Street that we could have the complete pedestrianisation of Princes Street and all the buses go through George Street. The bus operators would also have problems with that.

"There are also environmental reasons about whether or not it's a good idea to have a large volume of traffic going down George Street over a longer period. I like the idea of less traffic on Princes Street and there's more we could do to make it pedestrian and cycle-friendly.

"It's got a stunning outlook and we really want to do as much as we can to take advantage of that."

He said the feasibility study was about finding the "right balance" and may suggest measures such as limiting traffic to one lane in each direction, rather than closing the street entirely to road traffic.

Mr Mackenzie, a board member of tram firm TIE and chairman of the council's development arm EDI, had been credited with getting the council's finances in order during his time as finance leader and is now charged with fixing the tram project. He dismissed suggestions that the tramline's budget was spiralling out of control, and said there would be a huge price to pay for not seeing the scheme through.

He said: "What I find surprising is that some people still want us to stop the project. We're beyond the point where it would make any financial sense. For Edinburgh and Scotland it would be calamitous to pull out at this stage. That would create problems for the public sector going forward and contractors would look at Scotland and wonder if we are going to do this with other projects."

Last week it emerged the tram project may not be ready until May 2012, following a nine-month delay on crucial work at the Gogar tram depot.