Commuters face nightmare with more cars on road and less space to drive
A return to pre-pandemic traffic levels has left commuters frustrated and angry over delays and congestion across the Edinburgh.
And there are signs that the situation has been worsened by more people choosing to bring their car into the city because they are reluctant to use public transport due to Covid
Motorists who use the Queensferry Road route into the centre report long queues and increased journey times and blame the new bus lane which reduces the road available for general traffic to just one lane.
One commuter who travels from Dunfermline says a drive that previously took less than 40 minutes can now take an hour.
"It was always busy, but the bus lane has made it worse. It's hellish.
"All of a sudden it comes to a grinding halt – this is about ten to eight in the morning. It's appalling. And for how many buses an hour?
"You have the main artery into town effectively being cut down to one lane. The planners haven't thought it through."
And another motorist who uses the same route echoed the concerns. He said: “The bus lane added on Queensferry Road near Cramond has become a major source of frustration travelling into the city by car. Vehicles now have to merge into a single lane, backing traffic up well out of the city, and the bus lane itself is regularly empty at peak times.
"It has exacerbated traffic congestion unnecessarily on one of the key commuter links into the capital. It is rather maddening to have to sit in the car for an extra 15 minutes at this one spot.
"It's been a double whammy as well, because Covid has also contributed to the congestion. Trains travelling in from areas like Fife, where I live, are much quieter than pre-pandemic.
"I genuinely believe people are now choosing to avoid public contact with others – and the risk of catching the virus – for the safe confines of their private vehicle and are shunning public transport in the same numbers.
"As offices finally fully reopen and more people are now choosing the safety of the car, it's going to create a nightmare travelling into Edinburgh. The congestion leading into what was already one of the most congested cities in the UK is going to be far worse than it used to be.”
Lothian Tory MSP and Edinburgh councillor Sue Webber said she had experienced very busy traffic driving into town on the West Approach Road. "It was queued from the Dundee Street slip,” she said. "You get the sense there are more cars on the road."
She said roadworks, as well as cycle lane sand other Spaces for People measures all contributedto reduced road space and new bottlenecks.
"It's very clear in terms of getting in and around the city, whatever road you're choosing, we're back to pre-pandemic levels of traffic, but everything seems worse because there's less space to accommodate it."
Recent figures from Transport Scotland showed car journeys back at pre-pandemic levels, rail journeys down by 50 per cent and concessionary bus journeys down by 35 per cent.