Walk the Walk

I have to say (as a motorist of 60 years) that I welcome the widening of the pavements and creation of cycle lanes, both features that reduce the space for car parking, in Edinburgh.

Ownership of a car does not carry a God-given right to park your ton of metal and plastic on the public highway, bringing with you your congestion, pollution and danger. I remember Edinburgh in the ’40s and ’50s as a better place for pedestrians, with few cars. The many trams kept a respectful distance out in the roadway and if they stopped for passengers the traffic stopped too (if there was no tram island). The same could apply today – cyclists can wait while passengers board and alight from the buses.

Even with all the tram works in Leith Walk I found it more pleasant last week to walk and browse along there, with the widened pavements and great reduction in traffic. Once the trams are running, there must be fewer buses, particularly if there is a permanent loss of public transport passengers from the pandemic. I won’t be one of those wanting to park my car in Leith Walk, even though I fully expect it to quickly regain its varied and slightly quirky attraction.

N MACKENZIE

Grange Loan, Edinburgh