At last! After months of the local media predicting that the tram utility diversion works would cause disruption to traffic they have been proved right, with “severe delays” caused around Haymarket following the commencing of seven months of work at this location. The worst delays are said to be during rush hour (no kidding!) on Dalry Road and Morrison Street.
First Bus, who run many services through the area – and have nothing to do with the tramway so probably won’t like the competition, complained that their services were seeing delays of 30 minutes. Juliette Turner, Operations Director for First in Scotland East, said: “e understand how frustrating it can be for our passengers for their journeys to take longer than usual, and we want them to know that we are deploying staff to monitor the situation. Unfortunately, in these circumstances, there is very little that anyone can do. Everyone travelling on these routes will be affected by these works – car drivers, bus operators, delivery drivers and other road users."
A spokesman for tie said: tie is committed to ensuring that the traffic management around its work sites is well planned and executed. The process does not end once the measures are in place. tie employs traffic modellers to constantly monitor the traffic and works to ensure that should changes be necessary, they are made quickly and efficiently."
Taxis have also been affected, but interestingly Raymond Davidson, secretary of the Edinburgh Taxi Association, wasn’t completely blaming the work at Haymarket: “There is no doubt things have got worse since the Haymarket work got under way. Of course, it is not just at Haymarket, there are problems all over the city with roadworks."
Source: The Scotsman