Safety improvements to a dangerous Edinburgh junction have still not been started – nearly five years after the tragic death of a pedestrian.
Calls for changes at the Davidson’s Main’s roundabout predated the tragedy, but despite a council promise to overhaul the junction by the end of 2021, work has not yet begun.
Ward councillor for Almond, Kevin Lang, claims the final designs for the changes “have not even been agreed”.
Council leader Cllr Adam McVey pledged that action will be taken “as quickly as possible”.
In spring 2017, Alena Faltyskova visited the capital with her husband as part of her 70th birthday celebrations.
On 14 May as she walked over the pedestrian crossing on Main Street in Davidson’s Mains on her way to church there, she was struck by a number 41 Lothian bus.
Mrs Faltyskova who was with her husband was killed instantly. Th couple had been married for 30 years at the time.
The driver, James Muir, later pled guilty to driving without due care and was disqualified for two years.
A sheriff ruled he “failed to keep a proper lookout for other road users”.
But Cllr Lang said the accident “came after years of concerns from residents about the dangers of roundabout”.
He added: “Residents had been concerned for many years about the dangers of the junction, particularly given the area is a key route to school for local primary and secondary children.
Following the incident council offers proposed safety improvements to the design and layout. In 2019, a public consultation on the planned changes was launched, and it was later promised the junction would be overhauled by the end of last year.
At a full council meeting on Thursday Cllr Lang noted the five year anniversary of Mrs Faltyskova’s death is approaching and that “no changes have been delivered”.
He said: “It is disgraceful that, five years after Alena’s tragic death and despite all the promises made at the time, not a single change has been made to improve the safety of pedestrians at the Davidson’s Mains roundabout.
“Despite a pledge that changes would be in place by the end of 2021, I understand the final designs for the changes have not even been agreed. It still remains unclear as to when any improvements will be seen on the ground.
“As we approach this landmark anniversary of Alena’s death, the Council Leader needs to personally intervene so the promised changes are delivered and pedestrians are better protected”.
Council Leader, Cllr Adam McVey, replied saying he is “absolutely happy” to follow the matter up with officers and “find out exactly where this is in the process”.
He said he’ll aim to find out the reason for delays, adding he will push to get action “as quickly as possible”.
by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
