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SCOTS locals have been left divided over the dangers posed by a busy Edinburgh pedestrian crossing amid increased footfall thanks to the Fringe crowds.
One social media user flagged up the potential risks facing pedestrians on the crossing at the foot of the capital’s busy North Bridge.
At this crossing, the traffic lights allegedly remain red for only ten seconds at a time, leading to a slew of pedestrians trying to barrel across the road at the same time.
This, in combination with the countless vehicles trying to squeeze through one of the busiest parts of the city centre will lead to “someone being hit” before the end of the Fringe, the user claims.
A video posted by the user while they were stopped at the crossing shows a significant number of people attempting to cross the busy road simultaneously, as a bus turns off Princes Street onto North Bridge.
The bus turns while the pedestrians are only halfway across the road, with the group having to stop abruptly at the traffic island in the middle of the road to avoid getting hit.
The user shared the video to social media last Friday.
The caption of the video reads: “If I was a betting person, I’d bet all my savings on someone being hit at the traffic lights leading to North Bridge before the end of Edinburgh Fringe.
“The sequence of the lights and the petty 10-second duration pedestrians are given for crossing is a disaster in the making”
The post has since received dozens of likes and comments from concerned locals who echoed the point.
One user said: “I can’t understand why the length of time for pedestrians crossing isn’t lengthened during August.”
Another commented: “Pedestrians aren’t given right of way here and it’s so different in other countries. Those buses need to slow the hell down. I have almost been hit by them.”
A third added: “The UK is one of the worst western nations when it comes to pedestrian priority over vehicles.”
However, another user reasoned: “To be fair, the pedestrians cross when the pedestrian light is clearly on red (regardless of the duration) anyway.
“There’s some element of personal responsibility required when crossing the road. The buses almost have to push through them sometimes.”
Another agreed: “Or people could use their common sense and not walk in front of traffic.”
The increased number of pedestrians in the capital comes with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which attracts nearly a million tourists to the city each year.
Speaking today, the anonymous user said: “The situation I tried to raise is far too common.
“I see it every day, everywhere around Edinburgh. But it is particularly bad at that junction (which is one of the busiest in Edinburgh).
“With the Fringe in full swing, the council should have realised that a lot more pedestrians would be using that junction, and made necessary changes.
“For the number of pedestrians crossing that six-way junction, ten seconds green man is an embarrassment for a city that often is hailed by its councillors as ‘one of the best European cities’.
“I think the bigger picture is lack of vision and will from the council to preserve such an iconic and historic part of the city.
“Everyone knows how insane Edinburgh gets during August, why allow so much traffic into the very heart of this historic icon?
“The council could limit private vehicular access to this part of the city at least for this month, and that will allow for more relaxation on the amount of time given to pedestrians to cross the roads in our city safely.”
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