Council officers have been sent back to the drawing board to reconsider the latest temporary roads changes in Aberdeen.
Business owners, residents and councillors braved the wind and rain yesterday to tell roads planners how the controversial overhaul of the city’s roads could be improved.
Council staff, including chief capital officer John Wilson, met with groups in Justice Mill Lane and George Street.
The two roads have been substantially changed as part of £1.76million work citywide to improve physical distancing or cycling links.
In Justice Mill Lane, that has meant a one-way system in place from the Hardgate to Holburn Street, introduced to stop rat-runners using the stretch to sidestep the heavily altered, adjacent Union Street.
During the first 30 minutes of the roadside talks, two cars ignored the barrage of cones, travelling up the street in the wrong direction.
Traders have complained the measures have cut the entire Bon Accord area to traffic coming from both north and south.
Concerned business owner Rosemary Michie asked for evidence the road was going to be used as a shortcut, which roads engineer Ross Stevenson admitted was “anecdotal”.
He confirmed there were no surveys of the road use before the one-way and cycle lane were installed.
But others present welcomed the change, which has been mooted for the area long before the pandemic.
Chief capital officer John Wilson noted the worries over accessibility in the area, pledging to look to see if right turns could be permitted once more from Bon Accord Terrace – providing it was within safety rules
Moving to reassure those gathered, Mr Wilson said: “Genuinely, the council is trying to help businesses.
“We want to try to get this city back up and thriving.”
Later in the day, concerns were raised in George Street over people parking in cycle lanes and loading bays within the one-way stretch between Maberly Street and St Andrew Street.
The council promised to have community wardens patrol the area to catch out offenders.