The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Chaos as bus blocks junction
● Delays as vehicle stuck for over an hour after one-way system put in place
Chaos erupted at a pinch-point junction again yesterday after a double-decker bus blocked the busy one-way system around Inverness Castle for more than an hour.
The incident, at the junction of Haugh Road and Castle Road, occurred at about midday, causing lengthy delays and tailbacks for drivers.
The streets surrounding the landmark have been converted into a one-way system as part of the Spaces for People project to afford more space for people to walk, cycle and wheel.
But Highland Council yesterday said the bus driver had ignored a sign warning larger vehicles not to turn right.
A spokesman said: “The signage clearly shows a ban to the right turn to vehicles over 7.5T.”
Stagecoach said help had been needed to free the bus, which had become stuck on the road surface.
A spokeswoman said: “One of our drivers attempted to correct an error in the route they had taken on service 1 in the Inverness city centre new road layout.
“Unfortunately the vehicle became grounded and was recovered after approximately an hour.”
Police attended to provide traffic management with the vehicle cleared before 2pm.
One taxi driver caught in queues said the implementation of the Spaces for People project has made his role harder and the changes were proving problematic for many drivers.
He said: “It has been pretty chaotic and it is completely without any sense.
“It has been done for pedestrians to help them keep their distance from each other but I am driving through there every single day and I often can’t see a single person on that bit of road.
“They are all on the pavement anyway, so what is the point in doing something like this?
“It is making our job harder and it is making journeys more expensive for our customers. I think that people in the council deciding about stuff like this must never have driven through the town, especially not at peak times,” he added. Feedback on the Spaces for People project can be delivered through council’s website at consult. highland.gov.uk/kse