So buses and taxis are to return to Aberdeen's Union Street. Yippee!
For nearly two years the shoppers and residents of Union Street have had to endure walking in the highly unsafe environment of a street that was supposedly closed to traffic, but in reality had bicycles whizzing at great speed through throngs of pedestrians without due care, and the occasional lost vans and cars driving among pedestrians too.
It was total anarchy. It was every man for themselves.
It was such an utter shambles, I remain convinced that whoever carried out the risk assessment on this scheme and approved it, must have had the intelligence and foresight of a blindfolded slug. Or perhaps was told to write it with a gun at their head. I think the former is the more likely for the unfortunate Council employee who had that task dumped on them.
Bringing back traffic will force the public to use the pavements again, where they belong. And where it is safest.
With the public returning to the pavements, hopefully the cyclists who in recent years have come to believe the pavements are equally theirs to use, will no longer find adequate space to weave in and out, and consequently will return to the road where the Highway Code tells them they belong.
Pedestrianisation is a good idea, in theory. However that was not proper pedestrianisation that was delivered to Union Street. Union Street was instead given a hybird, mongrel, anarchaic, "pick and mix" mess that left everyone confused about who was supposed to be where.
It is the same problem over and over that arises in this country whenever our glorious leaders try to create a more environmentally-friendly road system. More bicycles are the solution they say, yet they never face up to the fact that there is nowhere for them.
Basically, bicycles cannot be used safely on traffic-laden roads, because this puts the cyclist in danger. And cyclists should not be allowed in pedestrianised areas because this put the pedestrian in danger.
Until bicycles are given there own road space that neither other traffic nor pedestrians can enter, we shall never solve the problem of what to do with bicycles.
However, for the meantime, let us rejoice that Union Street is being restored to its original common-sense state. Where roads are for traffic (including bicycles) and pavements are for pedestrians.
Yippee!
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