Aberdeen City Council has decided to remove the pedestrian crossing on the slip lane from Rosemount Viaduct to Union Terrace.
The motion to remove the crossing was passed by eight votes to seven following a debate at yesterday’s enterprise, strategic planning and infrastructure committee meeting.
The pelican crossing costs just £335.26 per year to run, but councillors voting in favour of the removal insisted that the money was not a factor.
Councillor Barney Crockett said: “The challenges with running a modern city are very serious, and we have limited resources so we have to be led by the scientific evidence that’s there.
“The evidence shows that usage of that crossing is very, very low. People are not using the crossing, they’re not pushing the button and waiting, 80% of the crossing users are ignoring the necessary actions.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about correctly using the resources the city has.”
The councillors voting against the removal cited concerns over pedestrian safety, particularly for schoolchildren and the elderly who often have to negotiate the junction.
Traffic currently turning onto the slip lane is difficult to see for pedestrians walking towards Rosemount, and many drivers and cyclists turn onto the road at speed and without indicating.
Councillor Bill Cormie, who voted against the removal, said: “I do feel sorry for the elderly folk that really need the crossing. There’s a bus stop there with three buses stopping at it, and lots of elderly folk get off there and spent most of the day in the library, so they’re going to find it really difficult to get across the road.”