Wheels set in motion for ban on HGVs

Published on Thursday 23 February 2012 12:07

A LORRY ban for parts of the West End through the night is back on the agenda – after city leaders stepped in and suggested new cameras could be used to enforce it.

The Moray Feu Residents Association has been campaigning for years to stop traffic being diverted into residential areas when the tram is operational. But council officials released a report last week that said the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) ban “cannot be recommended” because police say it would have to be “self- enforcing” – and the council had no way of policing it.

However, city leaders have now asked officials to look at whether new cameras being introduced to the city’s bus lanes could be used as a means of enforcing an HGV ban.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city’s transport leader, said: “We would like the head of transport to go away and look at the use of automatic number plate technology or bus lane camera technology to enforce an HGV restriction for the Moray Feu overnight, and he will also look to see if it is technically and legally possible to do that.

“Having listened to the many hours of debate and consultation on the issues around Moray Feu, in some respects almost independent of the tram discussion, there is clearly an issue of large vehicles travelling over cobbled areas creating more noise overnight.

“During the day that is in the background to some extent but overnight it can be more disruptive and, while we have an alternative route with Shandwick Place open overnight, it seems reasonable to look at encouraging that alternative.”

Council officials revealed last week they will spend £290,000 on setting up a system of cameras to operate at “hotspots” where drivers break bus lane rules. Now officials will look at whether the same technology can be used to police an HGV ban.

Marshall Poulton, the council’s head of transport, said: “Since we last spoke [with police about an HGV ban], the technology has moved on with regard to using cameras to enforce HGV bans throughout the country.”

But the council will also need to find out if it is able to get the powers to enforce such a ban and hand out penalties – likely to be £60 fines – to lorry drivers who do not follow the rules.

Residents have previously dismissed claims that the ban could not be enforced by police and hope that even just putting up signs would reduce HGV traffic enough to stop it being a significant problem.

Alistair Laing, a member of the Moray Feu Residents Association, said: “The traffic used to travel through many commercial streets and if you put all that commercial traffic through residential areas in the West End and Moray Feu then they take all the nastiness – like 24/7 noise pollution and danger.

“They are moving forward in that they are now talking about signs and vehicle recognition, which is progress.

“Let’s see where we go from here. We’ve had four years of procrastination so it is time there is something done.”

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10

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 01:28 PM

Simple solution.... Scrap the trams. Revert the roads back to what they were in 1986. Problem solved. No need for yet another ludicrous ban.

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A Friend of Fernando Poo

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 01:25 PM

Don't HGVs have GPS monitoring on them now?

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8

Irritatingly Intelligent Chauvinist

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 10:37 AM

If hgv lorries are banned from the west end, is that not going to make deliveries to the west end a bit tricky?

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7

Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 09:28 AM

#5 they plan to use the over supply of trams to carry freight into the city centre. Does this pass for "joined up thinking" ?

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6

SouthsideLad

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:43 PM

Shouldn't the legalities of such a move be found out FIRST Cllr MacKenzie, rather than as part of your Head of Transport's report? You of all people should have learnt that by now. More blatent electioneering - announcing plans before even checking to see if they are legal.

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5

Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 06:16 PM

How will the vital and vibrant commercial heart of Edinburgh be replenished ?

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4

blue moon

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 05:25 PM

And how does the nightshift binman get his hgv in to collect the rubbish?

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3

Velv

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:22 PM

Chickens come home to roost (except they chickens are too expensive). When it was pointed out that introducing a tram to Edinburgh had severe implications for EVERYONE, nobody on the Council listened. They're having to listen now though - at least those who live in the West End are having to listen. Nightly

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2

Afredo Garcia

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:59 PM

Spot the tram worker? No prizes but it would make an interesting competition. I do hope they have a put a time lapse system in place to monitor the work or, if funds are tight, stream it online and we can combine the frames.... and see why it is taking 18 months ;-}

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Thomas the Tank

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:41 PM

Yet another example of the rag-bag patchwork of good intentions that 'city leaders' have deluded themselves into thinking of as a coherent 'transport policy'. Tick, tock, Jenny and Gordon, Tick tock.

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