Scotland’s ‘Third World’ roads shame

REPORTED comments (your article, 5 June) defending the atrocious state of our capital city’s roads, from Steve Cardownie, the deputy council leader, have apparently elicited references to, amazingly, the roads of Venezuela. The time has long passed for such bluster.

As an Edinburgh council taxpayer, I will only be appeased if the council expedites a fully costed programme and timetable of repairs and resurfacing for all our roads, with the support of the Scottish Government.

If the council is incapable of doing this, as the evidence suggests, then the government should remove this responsibility forthwith and employ an appropriate commercial civil engineering firm who will deliver us the good roads we deserve, on time and to budget. This should be seen as an absolute priority. We have suffered this fiasco long enough.

Elizabeth Marshall

Western Harbour Midway

Edinburgh

I RECENTLY travelled from Glasgow to Fort William on a coach along the A82.

So narrow and winding is that road between Tarbet and Ardlui on Loch Lomondside that our driver had to stop several times in order to let lorries, caravans, coaches and other large vehicles pass in a southerly direction.

With all the talk about dualling the A9, completing the M8 etc, I hope our politicians don’t overlook the need to bring that relatively short stretch of the A82 up to standard.

What sort of message does it send out when, in 21st-century Scotland, vehicles on a main road have to stop in order to let those heading in the other direction safely pass?

This stretch of road would embarrass a Third World country.

George Shanks

Orwell Place

Edinburgh

ON READING your article (5 June) regarding the state of Edinburgh’s roads, I was compelled to write in. The level of complacency shown by both councillors Cardownie and Lesley Hinds (transport leader) left me foaming at the mouth.

I drive a sports car and a motorbike and I must say that on my travels around the globe, including India, I have seldom encountered roads as bad as Edinburgh’s. Broken road surfaces abound around the entire city, with the amount of sunken drain covers an absolute nightmare for motorcyclists like me.

I live in an area that has had an experimental 20mph zone foisted upon us at who knows what cost! They could have saved all the money spent on signs and paint on the carriageway as it is virtually impossible to go any faster than 20mph as most of my time I am trying hard to avoid the potholes.

I run a small business and I have lost count of the adverse comments I have fielded regarding the state of our roads and, of course, the saga of the tram disaster.

When will these people charged with running our magnificent city wise up and attend to the roads?

Tom Borthwick

Blacket Avenue

Edinburgh