Road improvement works have now been put in place on Whitehouse Road in Barnton where an 11-year-old cyclist was struck and killed by the driver of a bin lorry.
Thomas Wong tragically died in August 2024, while cycling past the exit to the Royal Burgess Golf Club in Barnton, after being hit by a truck driven by Ross Wallace, who was then 28 years old.
A report to be considered by next week’s Transport and Environment Committee states that improvements at the junction have now been completed, but further options to make the area safer are also being explored.
Transport Convener, Stephen Jenkinson, said the incident was ‘tragic’, but he was glad improvements could be made in the area.
He added that the effectiveness of the modifications would be monitored, and more action would be taken if needed.
The crash took place at an exit on to Whitehouse Road from the Royal Burgess Golfing Society’s car park.
Royal Burgess Golf Club have put some safety measures in place by cutting back the hedges at the exit where schoolboy 11-year-old Thomas Wong was killed in a collision with a bin lorry driven by an employee of the NWH Group.
Picture Alan Simpson
A prominent white bar and text reading ‘STOP’ has been painted on the ground at the exit, as well as a yellow box on the junction.
Additionally, shrubbery around the exit has been trimmed back, opening up sight lines from the golf club to the street. Illuminated stop signs have also been added.
Bollards, kerb build outs and tactile paving have been put in place around the exit, with the build outs shortening the distance required to cross over the exit.
The council officers say the interventions have been effective so far, but add that other works are being proposed.
One possible improvement is a proposal to reduce the speed limit on Whitehouse Road from 30 miles per hour to 20, with a dedicated cycle lane along the road.
Thomas was cycling on the pavement when he was struck by the driver of the NWH lorry, which was turning left out of the exit from the golf club.
The driver, Wallace, pled guilty to driving without due care and attention in July 2025, and in August was given 133 hours of unpaid work, and banned from driving for a year.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Wallace had used his mobile phone while driving the lorry several times earlier in the day, but that it “had no impact on the collision”.
Cllr Jenkinson said: “It’s tragic that it’s taken an incident for it to actually happen, but it’s positive that we’ve recognised that there was some work that we needed to do there.
“We will now monitor the effectiveness and the success of these measures, and if anything else needs to be done, it will be done as appropriate.”
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
Floral tributes for 11-year-old Thomas Wong who was killed on Whitehouse Road Edinburgh on 1 March 2024 while riding his bike.
Picture Alan Simpson
Royal Burgess Golf Club have put some safety measures in place by cutting back the hedges at the exit where schoolboy 11-year-old Thomas Wong was killed in a collision with a bin lorry driven by an employee of the NWH Group.
Picture Alan Simpson
