Delay adds to ‘rat run’ fears

Residents desperate to prevent a historic Aberdeen street from becoming a rat run have been waiting more than a year for a camera to catch motorists flouting a ban.

People in Old Aberdeen have been campaigning for a bus gate at the entrance to the High Street for years, and had been told it would be in place last July.

Now 15 months on, they are still waiting for the infrastructure to appear.

The local authority has blamed the hold-up on the pandemic, saying resources were diverted to put social distancing measures in place.

Members of Old Aberdeen Community Council say the bus gate is needed to ensure only permitted traffic, which includes buses or taxis but excludes passing cars, travel along the street. They fear that, without the camera and accompanying prospect of fines for breaking the rules, the road could become a rat run.

Councillor for Tillydrone, Seaton and Old Aberdeen, Alex McLellan, shares the community group’ s impatience. The member of the SNP opposition group said: “The signage and regulations were changed a number of months ago but that made little difference to the number of vehicles flouting the system.

“The bus gate here is just as important as the bus gate on Union Street which was installed a few weeks ago . The ruling administration must ensure that the camera is installed as a priority.”

Proposals for the measure were first mooted by the community council in 2018 to protect the thoroughfare from overuse and improve safety.

Chairman of the group, Dewi Morgan, worries the situation can only get worse if nothing is done.

He said: “When people go through there they rush as they know they are breaking the law.

“If we didn’t have Covid there would be students all over the place and it would be particularly dangerous.

“My worry is that as time progresses people will just accept that this is a rat run and use it as such.”

A council spokesman said: “The unprecedented circumstances presented by the worldwide pandemic have impacted on many council projects.

“We are unable to put a timescale on the bus gate project at present but will be looking to resume work as soon as circumstances permit.”

TRAFFIC WORRIES: Residents have been campaigning for a bus gate in Old Aberdeen.