Double-decker ban to cut Princes Street woes down to size

DOUBLE-decker buses could be banned from Princes Street at non-peak times as part of the latest attempts to improve the thoroughfare.

City transport leader Gordon Mackenzie today admitted it was "very unlikely" that a proposal by the international architects commissioned by the council to move towards making the street completely bus-free would be accepted.

But Councillor Mackenzie said he intended to speak with Lothian Buses and other providers about the possibility of using smaller buses outside of the main morning and early evening rush hours in a bid to make the street more attractive to residents and shoppers.

The comments come after councillors agreed to put a new "action plan" on city centre improvements out to a wider public consultation before pressing ahead with the proposals, which include short-term changes like removing parking on part of George Street to create seating and an "activity space", developing a similar space at the west end of Princes Street and introducing more kiosks at Castle Street.

One of the longer-term proposals for Princes Street was to consider reducing the number of buses over the next four years. But Cllr Mackenzie said: "It is very unlikely that we end up with a scenario that there are no buses on Princes Street.

"What we want to do is try to reduce the intrusion of double-decker buses where we can. For commercial reasons, Lothian Buses believe that a fleet largely populated by double-deckers is the best way to go, but we want to talk about the possibility of different types of buses at different times.

"It may be that, outwith peak hours, they can move around the vehicles within their fleet."

Transport for London has introduced the UK's first hydrogen bus on a busy tourist route and talks are to take place with Lothian Buses about whether it can look at similar technology.

The wider four-year revamp of the city centre, drawn up in response to a critical report by Danish firm Gehl Architects, had looked set to get the go-ahead at a meeting yesterday.

However, concerns from Conservative and Labour councillors about the lack of public input led to a final decision being put back until early summer to allow a full public consultation.

Cllr Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group on the council, said: "If the opposition councillors had not pressed for a wider consultation it was not going to happen."