Plan to stop park rat-run welcomed

PLANS to set up a new group to consider how to deal with excessive traffic in Holyrood Park have been welcomed by local representatives.

The city council agreed at a transport and environment committee meeting this week to set up a group of councillors and council officials, as well as Historic Scotland and the Duddingston Village Conservation Society, to look at better management of traffic in the park.

Local councillor Ewan Aitken welcomed the decision, and said he wanted an agreement that meant the streets of Duddingston are not used as a "rat- run". He added: "It was also admitted (at committee] that the route through the village has become a de facto arterial route for the city but yet is not in the control of the council, whose job it is to manage the traffic in the city.

"So either the council needs to control it, or have much more influence at least, or the route needs to stop being seen as playing that role in the city."

The Evening News revealed last week that police will stop commercial vehicles in the park and inform drivers that they are not allowed to use the park in order to avoid the city centre.