Drivers could be banned from using streets in the centre of Kirkwall at certain times of the day and night.
The plans could result in retractable bollards being installed at each end of Bridge Street, which is part of the Orkney capital’s high street.
This week, Orkney councillors viewed and approved a report that said formal consultation on the plans should go ahead.
In approving the report, councillors also noted that the plans would include the permanent closure of two smaller streets to traffic – Bridge Street Wynd and St Olaf’s Wynd.
Which streets could the plans affect?
The plans were discussed at a meeting of the council’s Development & Infrastructure Committee.
They were first floated with the committee back in September and were considered at the request of a local developer.
This developer asked the council to consider rules which would mean drivers would be banned from using some streets overnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
However, the council saw this as an opportunity to review the prohibition of driving orders already in place in the area.
The new rules being proposed would affect:
- Bridge Street
- Albert Street
- Laing Street
- St Olafs Wynd
- Bridge Street Wynd
The council is proposing that drivers be banned from using these streets from 11am to 3pm daily and from 11pm to 3.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The current exceptions to these rules would be emergency vehicles or those involved with utility works and building repairs.
Why the need for new traffic ban rules in Kirnwall?
There are, in fact, already prohibition of driving orders on some of the streets in the town centre.
Bridge Street and Albert Street are already covered by an order which should stop drivers from using them.
However, these orders have exceptions leaving them “open to interpretation and abuse by drivers”, the council’s head of neighbourhood services Lorna Richardson says.
This makes current rules difficult to enforce, the council says.
Putting retractable bollards at each end of Bridge Street would be one way of making sure the new rules can be enforced.
However, Ms Richardson noted that the recommendations are “a first step” and the options for enforcement would need to be considered.
Currently, there isn’t any funding for options like the retractable bollards.
So, the decision taken by councillors this week was mainly to do with whether the formal consultation process should go ahead.
What do the public think?
Local businesses and members of the public are generally in favour of the street being car-free during certain specified times.
This was the finding of initial survey results carried out by council staff after the plans were first viewed.
The survey results said 60% of respondents agreed that closing the streets would be “beneficial.”
Fewer were in support of the Kirkwall streets being car-free at night.
Just under half agreed with that proposal while the rest were indifferent, disagreed or strongly disagreed.
However, many respondents to the survey also pointed out that access for delivery vehicles and customers must be maintained.
Kirkwall traffic ban: What is the benefit?
The main benefit of cutting traffic in those streets is that it would save money.
Maintaining the flagstones continues to be “a burden” on the revenue budget, the council’s report states.
However, there are concerns that any closures could negatively affect those with private parking or street residents with mobility problems.
This could include people reliant on taxis or Blue Badge holders.
Are councillors for or against the proposals?
The council’s depute leader, Sandy Cowie raised concerns about how the rules would apply to blue badge holders.
With the lack of funding available, Mr Cowie also said: “It feels to me like we’re going to go through the motions, getting this in place and it will be a completely toothless measure.”
The council leader, Heather Woodbridge, asked for more detail on the volumes of traffic the streets.
She said there is a difference between “perceived need and what’s actually happening.”
However, Kirkwall councillor Kristopher Leask said, in his experience, the need to reduce traffic is “blindingly obvious”.
He said: “As someone who is on the street nearly every day, there is a definite need for managing traffic better.
“The number of close calls and worrying situations I’ve seen, often with cruise tourists and elderly people, makes it blindingly obvious that this is required.”
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