CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

A8 'firearms incident'

(17 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by duncans
  • Latest reply from HankChief

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  1. duncans
    Member

    Did anyone try coming via A8 past airport this morning? Sounded like trouble, I went via barnton/maybury.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. dg145
    Member

    I got as far as Newbridge roundabout, gambling that at least the roadside path would be open. However, the footbridge over the M9 was blocked and closed at the west end so it was clear that there was no way through.

    I headed up to Ratho aiming to pick up the canal towpath - which turned out also to be closed at that point heading east (house-building work by the looks of it). Ploughed on through Ratho (via a short bit of pavement cycling to get round the gridlock on Ratho Main Street) and eventually picked up the canal again at Gogar Station Road. Added about 20 mins to my commute, but nothing like the chaos caused to my car bound colleagues coming form the west and north.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. duncans
    Member

    Ah, sounds like it was a good call to avoid the area, much as I dislike the barnton-maybury route.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. Would normally go that way, but need the car for after work so didn't today. Thankfully was early enough to miss the chaos as well!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    "nothing like the chaos caused to my car bound colleagues coming form the west and north"

    Also -

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/burning-lorry-closes-city-bypass-1-3208793

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. Focus
    Member

    A8 reopens eastbound after airport ‘gun shots’

    "Police have re-opened the eastbound carriageway of the A8 after closing the road both ways last night, following reports of shots being fired near the airport.

    The A8 was shut in both directions between the airport and Newbridge while officers combed the scene following the incident, believed to be at Ratho Station, at 9.30pm last night.

    Police say the westbound carriageway will remain closed for around another 90mins.

    ..."

    Posted 10 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    Does seem like something of an overreaction.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  8. duncans
    Member

    Various rumours as to cause, not necessarily over-reaction if the armed robbery ones are true.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    And there's some cynics out there who think the police just like the sound of their own sirens and the sight of blue flashing lights rather than boring stuff like traffic offences and doing something about the Haymarket jughandle debacle.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

  11. MeepMeep
    Member

    I had heard a rumour to this effect this morning. Good to see an official explanation emerging.

    Have to admit that the soundbites at the bottom of the article got my hackles up.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Colleagues with polis family links suggest the over-reaction is a result of the underworld links and wanting to carry out a search of the road in daylight, hence it was kept closed until well into the day.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  13. Focus
    Member

    "Taxis also cashed in as passengers were caught in the lengthy tailbacks. With meters running – many clocked up colossal fares – and still had to ask for the cash."

    Love that one! I suppose asking the control room to make an exception/ phone the airport or police to check if the delays were to continue/ ask passengers if they'd rather get out were all out of the question?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  14. remberbuck
    Member

    "Taxis also cashed in as passengers were caught in the lengthy tailbacks. With meters running ... "

    Which is wrong. Edinburgh taxis charge on distance, not time. So, if you are coming back from the airport to South Edinburgh for example the route will be the shortest, through the Gyle. The driver will need your OK to go the quickest if it is longer, which is usually the bypass. They always return on the bypass.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  15. Instography
    Member

    Taxis charge on a combination of distance when the cab is moving and time when it is stopped.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  16. cb
    Member

  17. HankChief
    Member

    So the A8 was down to 1 lane city bound this morning due to a collapsed manhole cover.

    It was spotted yesterday lunchtime and still caused chaos this morning (unless you were on a bike).

    What surprised me was Scottish Water sending out a friendly tweet saying that their engineers were on their way.... at 9.40am.

    Given that it caused 8 mile traffic jams on the M9 as well as all the other surrounding roads you would have thought they would have put on a night shift.

    How much pollution was caused by this?

    Posted 8 years ago #

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