Critics round on Inverness coronavirus traffic management measures
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Traffic management measures introduced in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak are a danger to both drivers and the economic survival of Inverness, it has been claimed.
Drivers have talked of chaos as a result of the approach to the Millburn roundabout being reduced to a single lane.
More broadly, critics say the hoped-for increase in walking and cycling – which the changes as part of the Spaces for People project are supposed to accommodate – simply has not happened.
They say it is time to abandon the scheme as traffic levels continue to increase towards pre-lockdown levels.
Local councillor Ian Brown admitted the changes in Millburn Road – one of the key gateways to the city – are not without risk.
“It may be causing a backlog into the town, it is certainly a danger for those not expecting it,” he said. “It is a bottleneck.”
Despite this, he also attempted to defend the scheme as a whole.
“Yes, these measures are to an extent dangerous, but if there was an easy answer we would have done it by now,” he said.
“The measures have been put in place for good reason, and will take time to bed in.”
Inverness South member Andrew Jarvie, however, was more forthright in his criticism.
Having already called for the one-way system around Castle Street to be abandoned, he said: “If you have an hour for lunch then you cannot get anywhere in the city centre. And after using the road a number of times a week, I have only ever seen one or two people using the lane set aside for walking and cycling. It is laughable.
“If there is not a marked increase in people walking or cycling on the road when the schools go back, it is time for them to be removed.”
An HGV driver who has to use the route regularly told the Courier: “Over the course of last week traffic was queued on the A9 all the way from the Longman roundabout to the A96 junction.
“People were flying down the outside lane and trying to cut off for the A96 at the last minute, only to find both lanes on the slip road full.
“How there was not an accident, I don’t know.
“Traffic on the northbound side was also in a queue from the hospital roundabout all the way up the A9 to the A96 junction and, again, both lanes of the slip road were full.
“The roundabout underneath the A9 was just jammed solid, nobody was getting anywhere.
“Any time I’ve been down Millburn Road I’ve only seen about four bikes using it. It is total traffic chaos for the sake of a few bikes.
“It makes me think councillors only have a vacuum between their ears, as they certainly haven’t put any thought into this and are certainly not monitoring any of it.”
David Traill, of J Graham’s shooting and angling shop in Castle Street, said the measures may be doing more harm than good for the economic health of the city.
“Highland Council must remove them immediately, or prove to businesses that they will not affect our trade,” he said.
“Because all our evidence so far, from the areas changed around Castle Street, is that fewer people are coming to town because it is so difficult to get in and out again.
“All we are trying to do post-Covid is protect people’s jobs and Highland Council are not making that easy.
“It is high time they were removed, or the city centre will die out.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “The council is reviewing the situation regularly and a traffic management audit will be carried out for this area which will inform any resultant actions – if required.”
