CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Car ban plan at The Shore

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  1. cb
    Member

    http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Car-ban-plan-for-only.6775262.jp

    "Plans to reduce congestion in the area will see all traffic except buses and bikes banned from travelling north on the section of road between Tolbooth Wynd and Bernard Street.

    That will mean only buses will be able to use the lane closest to the water on the side of the road with most of the area's bars and restaurants."

    Only buses - and bikes.
    No mention of cyclists in the comments yet; the venom seesm to be directed at taxi drivers instead.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Raymond Davidson, of the Edinburgh Taxi Association, said: "It looks like the council have got it in for the taxi drivers at the moment after the ban on cabs using Holyrood Park, which we managed to get overturned.

    Except that was Historic Scotland, and nothing whatsoever to do with the council?

    Still, why bother to verify the facts when you can present some uniformed point of view instead.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. cb
    Member

    I would have thought that if you were a taxi driver you would be happy to back a scheme that encouraged pedestrians and discouraged cars.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I would have thought that if you were a taxi driver you would be happy to back a scheme that encouraged pedestrians and discouraged cars.

    AND encouraged longer diverted routes...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "AND encouraged longer diverted routes"

    I think some taxi drivers are a bit sensitive about that...

    BUT the point about them being in favour of less car use is valid - they tend to part of the 'car culture' rather than seeing themselves as part of the alternative.

    There are also plenty of arguments about whether or not taxis should be seen as 'public transport'.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    #24 "If motorists are so concerned about all the congestion...they should leave the car at home and...get the bus or cycle."

    The trouble is, the bus takes forever thanks to all of the artificially manufactured congestion around the city.

    And as for cycling... don't make me laugh. I own several bikes and am rarely off one or other of them, but I do all that I can to avoid cycling on the roads these days.

    The simple fact is, everybody hates cyclists now. Car drivers, pedestrians, buses, everyone.

    Why? Because the last few years has seen a massive increase in the number of people cycling around with the self important belief that none of the rules of the road apply to them.

    This breeds resentment and contempt amongst all other road users to the point that those of us who try to cycle predictably, while obeying the rules of the road, are treated like the arrogant fools that the (increasing) majority of cyclists now seem to be."

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "but I do all that I can to avoid cycling on the roads these days."

    Cycles on the pavement then...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Smudge
    Member

    I see a taxi as just a private car that is rented with a driver by those with enough cash. I don't see why they keep getting benefits that no other drivers do (except of course that the taxi drivers association seemed to have the council in their pocket for years!). Treat them the same as any other car driver imo. Wagons don't get to use bus lanes etc etc.
    If I could afford to hire a chaffeur (sp?) driven car would I be allowed taxi privileges? Does a van driver who needs to get about town get to use bus lanes, U-turn at random, use Princess street etc? Where's the difference?

    I confess to schadenfreude when I hear the taxi drivers association bleating!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. LaidBack
    Member

    The simple fact is, everybody hates cyclists now. Car drivers, pedestrians, buses, everyone.

    Who said that?!! 

    By using the Paper Bicycle I'm trying to be a normal* cyclist gently cycling around but sometimes I'm a target. Far too upright you see and the massed car potterers of Morningside do not like being overtaken by a one speed bike with chaingaurd(!) When I'm low and invisible no-one sees me enough to hate me.

    * (hard for me!)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    "using the Paper Bicycle I'm trying to be a normal* cyclist"

    I have a photo...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. wingpig
    Member

    That'll probably really annoy and thus hopefully discourage the cars who will now have to loop around somewhere to the south after escaping the one-way roads between the river, Constitution St, Great Junction St and Bernard St. It might also create more grief for anyone trying to get around the Tollbooth Wynd/Shore/bridge junction on foot, given the randomness of the pavement, excess of parking, barrier around the riverside pavement and semi-invisible road markings.

    I think I've always assumed that the sops given to taxis were based on the dubious assumption that, whilst a taxi is always a vehicle present on the road, a passenger in a taxi might represent the absence of a vehicle elsewhere (even though it also potentially represents unused seats on buses) or might mean that a low-occupancy vehicle is used only for the most necessary part of a journey rather than at all times.

    I'd feel a lot happier about taxis if they were small and efficient cars driven by gentle and considerate folk (particularly for when they're pootling¹ about mostly unnecessarily between fares) rather than huge and heavy large-engined fume-mongers² driven by enraged bullies³.

    ¹ or barrelling, steaming or whizzing
    ² perhaps not all, but definitely some
    ³ see ²

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    @anth: I hope you are quoting somebody else and not your own comment on the EEN! "Calf Lick" indeed!

    The majority of cars I see on Edinburgh's roads every day are just occupied by the driver. A minority carry any other passengers. That is, frankly, selfish road hogging and definitely causing the congestion drivers complain about. Petrol is obviously still far too cheap, even though most drivers would have you believe their pips are squeaking with the fuel costs. If that were really true, then people would not be sitting on their own in their cars in traffic jams...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    The other day at the junction at Chesser, turning left towards Asda off the A70 I had yet again gone too far forward to see the filter [I often forget about this for some reason). I realise I have done this as the car behind gives me a gentle toot. I thought how nice and friendly. Of course when it came past me it had a cycle rack on it.

    Yesterday I overtook a guy at THe Diggers, he had mountain bike hybrid I was on road/tourer so no insult to his manhood there. I then overtook an old fellow pootling along. We get to that new junction at Tollcross (where the Loudon's Bakery/Cafe has opened) We are stopped at the lights, I am in the red box chatting to the older chap. The original guy comes up the inside. has a look around [I am guessing he knows the sequence quite well] He cycles straight out into a big junction through the red light. It is a slow sequence to change from red to green so we wait about 5 seconds. As I also know the sequence I am quietly confident I will catch the RLJ boy shortly as there is a sequence of two red lights coming up that even when the first one changes to green you get ten yards to the next one which is at red. You then position yourself in the fast disappearing red box to get centred for the run down to the next set and round to the ODeon then on to the Pubic Triangle and Cowgate beyond. However he jumped the next two sets of red lights - actually getting quite dangerous now. Then down at the next set as even with all the RLJing he is still in our sights - he is cycling on the pavement past MacDonald Cycles. As the older man said - Desperado

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. recombodna
    Member

    I play at the shore every second thursday. Thats gonna be a long way to carry my drums!!!

    Posted 12 years ago #

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