Speed reductions delayed as bid to bring city in to 20mph zone stalls

Dozens of busy streets in Edinburgh are still waiting for new speed restrictions to be brought in months after work was meant to be completed.

Edinburgh speed limit reductions delayed as bid to bring parts of city in to 20mph zone stalls — Speed limit reductions are still not implemented in some areas after a slew of delays. iStock

Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter

20th Jul 2022

City of Edinburgh Council is still waiting to implement reduced speed limits on dozens of roads across the capital – four months after the work was supposed to be completed.

The plan to bring in new speed reduction measures in 57 locations by the end of March has suffered several delays, reportedly due to a ‘lack of resources,’ with just seven introduced by the council so far.

The delayed program of road safety changes is mainly lowering speed limits to 20mph.

Among the streets that were due to have this is place by the end of the first quarter of this year were Abercromby Place, Braid Road, Broughton Road, Lochend Road, Portobello High Street, Restalrig Road South and Craigentinny Road.

The wider raft of new speed reduction measures will eventually see 91 new 20mph zones and three streets -Builyeon Road, Cammo Road and Freelands Road – reduced to 30mph.

The council said it is anticipated that in addition to the seven lowered speed limits already implemented, including on Fettes Avenue and Orchard Road, 25 more streets will have measures in place by the end of September.

Transport and environment convener Scott Arthur said: “I share concerns about this delay, it is one of many across the transport and environment remit.

“I hope that from August TEC will be able to provide transparent and open scrutiny of project delivery to help ensure schemes have adequate resources to be delivered on time and on budget.”