Comment: Vehicle ban was rushed without enough thought

they say that you wait an age for a bus to come along and then two turn up at once. The same could be said of good ideas about passenger access to Waverley station.

Network Rail should be sitting back and enjoying the plaudits right now after investing £50 million in improvements to Waverley over the last seven years.

Instead, the station operator has been receiving brickbats rather than bouquets – and it has only 
itself to blame for that.

The way the station has been closed to motor vehicles has caused huge inconvenience to many passengers. Standing in the rain waiting to be picked up or dropped off has become a common experience for many of them.

Passengers dragging their luggage into the station from Waverley Bridge have also had to compete for space with cyclists along the narrow footpath that offers the only space to squeeze past the security barriers.

Cyclists in turn have to get off and push their bikes up the hill out of the station rather than getting into the saddle.

The truth is that the car ban was rushed in without enough thought being given to the best way of passengers getting in and out of the station. Thankfully Network Rail has finally recognised some of the flaws in its plans and promised action. It has also acknowledged the root cause of much of the fiasco, that it didn’t take time to consult and listen properly to public concerns.

A covered pick-up and drop-off area and a dedicated cycle route – which would have the twin benefit of easing congestion for pedestrians – would be two huge steps in the right direction.

Passengers will be grateful though to hear Edinburgh Southern MSP Jim Eadie, the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s infrastructure committee, make a promise of his own, pledging to recall Network Rail in six months time to see what progress has been made.