Edinburgh residents fear busy road will return to 'rat run' as bus gate scrapped
After Edinburgh City Council voted to remove a controversial bus gate on Manse Road we decided to head down to speak with residents to gather their thoughts.
Campaign groups in the area have been divided over the supposed traffic calming measure with some feeling the gate made journeys safer for schoolchildren in the community and others claiming the Low Traffic Neighbourhood project simply moved congestion to elsewhere in the community.
But for those living on the street there is a sense of dread regarding conditions returning to as they were before the bus gate was introduced.
READ MORE: Controversial Edinburgh 'bus gate' scrapped as rest of low traffic scheme made permanent
READ MORE: East Lothian couple 'delighted' as 'neighbours from hell' banished from street
Paul Calderwood, 43, who works in communications and has lived on the street for seven years, said the area became a lot safer for taking his kids to school and navigating the thin pavement on Manse Road.
He fears the street may return to being a ‘rat run’ with drivers ‘rallying’ up the road.
Although he is disappointed the gate will be removed, he feels the council have carried out a poor job in communicating the purpose and rules around the gate as well as dealing with the emotions of local residents.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
“After it had been installed it became much quieter,” he said. “I’ve got a five-year-old wee boy who goes to school around the corner.
“Before he went to school we’d have to try get the buggy along the narrow movement which was very difficult. Cars would rally up and you could feel the wing mirrors almost brush you.
“Even though there were speed bumps put in, drivers would see the green light and race to get onto St John’s road. It has definitely made it safer at school drop off as we no longer have the outskirts of this area descending on the street.
“It is a pain to get around and have to be mindful of the times the gate is active but for me it is a fair trade off.
“The council have left themselves open to criticism as they could have done so much more to communicate with residents. Emotions are extremely high and they did not do enough to recognise the strength of feeling.
“I work from home everyday and I never once had a knock at the door to ask my opinion as a resident of Manse Road.”
Dad Ian Gates, 67, who has lived on Manse Road for 15 years is also unhappy about the removal of the bus gate and added he felt the council has ‘missed an opportunity.’
“I think it should stay but it should be amended and the council learn their lessons,” he said. “People who complain about it do not seem to be the people living here.
“Hopefully we won’t go back to the time where you can’t get out the driveway at peak times. It was a rat run before at school times and you could sit in traffic all day unable to get in or out of your house.
“The scheme was not well communicated to motorists or residents. The signs are not great and could have used a light on them to show when they are active.
“I’ve never felt the changes made the area a LTN as the traffic has just built up elsewhere around us. The problem wasn’t solved but they just moved it.
“With the bus gate if my child was sick at school it would take me 20 minutes to get there. The plan was not very well thought out although it was well intentioned.
“They should have trialled different times for access to see what worked. The whole thing was badly thought out.”
Meanwhile, Kay Cee Smith, who is a Corstorphine resident but does not live on the street, said the bus gate had inconvenienced those trying to access local services and shops and she welcomed the decision for it to be removed.
She has welcomed the decision and has vowed to continue fighting for the removal of all LTN schemes in the area.
“It impacted me as I used to drive to the shops when coming back and forth from my home,” she said. “I had to watch my time and did not have freedom to visit services when I needed to.
“I have other things to do and using Corstorphine shops stopped fitting in with my life. I thought why even bother driving through the area.
“The congestion this caused to the surrounding roads meant the area was blocked off. I do not have young children but I imagine parents who do must struggle to get them to all of their activities.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
“Manse Road is a road, designed to be driven on. A route south to north and safert due to the junction controlled by traffic lights. They brought in the bus gate to make it safer for kids to access the school but there were already safe routes for the majority of children.
“I’ve never seen any speeding on the road and those who bought houses their and had not moved away knew they were living on a road. It may have made it quieter for residents and more pleasant but it did not solve the problem and just created more congestion.”
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m conscious that the debate around the Manse Road bus gate has generated strong views on both sides of the debate. However, we need to respect the decision made by the Traffic Regulation Orders Sub-Committee.
“Across Edinburgh through our City Mobility Plan we’re committed to creating a safer and more inclusive net zero carbon transport system and delivering a healthier, thriving, fairer and compact city with a higher quality of life for all residents. Corstorphine Connections is a key project in this and we’ll continue to monitor progress in the area carefully.
“We’ll also continually update the community and key stakeholders as we go forward.”