A resident of Cockburn Street has told of life on one of Edinburgh's most historic roads being blighted by delivery drivers parking on pavements.
The Twitter account ‘SOS Cockburn Street’, which is run by an anonymous individual, has captured images of different HGV lorries blocking walkways over recent weeks.
Mounting the kerb over double yellow lines is considered a breach of traffic regulations by Edinburgh City Council chiefs.
And local authority bosses say that they have made assurances that more parking attendants were available in order to patrol the pedestrianised street.
But SOS Cockburn claim to have witnessed a parking attendant walking right past a HGV lorry on the pavement without challenging the driver.
On a video they captured, SOS Cockburn Street said: “Absolutely nothing has changed. Video shows an HGV that visits the street daily, always driving up on the pavement regardless of whether there are pedestrians on it. He did the same today again and he will do the same tomorrow. What? Because he can. No one stops him. There is no enforcement. The council has made promises to silence us, but taken no action.
“Last week the council promised that it would address concerns of local residents and we were promised ‘new arrangements’ but no one is able to specify exactly what these are or when they will be implemented.
“Meanwhile, rubbish is being stacked up against these shacks [temporary structures introduced by businesses during the pandemic] and dangerous driving on the pavement continues. They said they would mobilise parking attendants, but I watched in disbelief as attendants walked right past!”
In the video a HGV can be seen mounting the pavement, causing a potential obstacle for disabled residents and everyday pedestrians in Edinburgh’s city centre.
The temporary wooden structures for outdoor eating and dining that were erected by businesses on the street during the Covid pandemic have been blamed for exacerbating the problem and causing obstacles for vehicles using Cockburn.
Earlier this year local democracy reporter, Donald Turvil, reported that the council would tighten "confusing" parking rules on Cockburn Street as vehicles were continuously blocking the pavement.
The council said that they would swiftly remove any wooden seating structures that were causing dangerous driving practices.
They added that in a bid to tackle the problem, they will bring in more enforcement, ban loading on sections of the street and change the road layout.
Cockburn Street was made a 'pedestrian priority' zone in 2020 under the Spaces for People scheme - now known as Travelling Safely - meaning it is closed to all motorists except disabled blue badge holders and delivery drivers.
Blue badge holders can park anywhere except on yellow lines, whilst loading for businesses is allowed for 30 minutes at a time.
Under current regulations, they can freely access the street via the Royal Mile between 6.30am and 10.30am.
Outwith this window access is restricted by retractable bollards that go up to prevent traffic from entering the section of the Royal Mile that provides access to Cockburn Street, with access authorised by council staff through a CCTV intercom system.
But questions have been raised over just how pedestrian-friendly the 'pedestrianised' road is, as dozens of images and videos of vehicles driving and parking on the pavement often after 10.30am have appeared on social media.
Dunns Food and Drinks were captured breaking the rules by the concerned SOS resident, and alongside them was Dawn catering and janitorial services as well as Walker's shortbread.
Jim Rowan, managing director from Dunns food and drinks said: “We have reminded all drivers of their responsibility to park safely, however this is clearly an incredibly problematic street due to the combination of the extension of parking restrictions and outdoor eating/drinking areas. This has resulted in delivery drivers from a number of different companies being left with no choice but to park in this manner.
“If the council doesn’t work to offer an alternative then delivery drivers simply may not be able to access the street – a further blow to hospitality businesses who are suffering increased pressures due to supply chain issues, rising gas and electricity costs, recruitment shortages, the ongoing impact of the pandemic and a whole host of other challenges.
“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this and work towards a solution with Edinburgh City Council.”
A spokesperson for Walker’s said: "Making deliveries in Edinburgh has always been a challenge particularly during the busier tourist seasons.
“I am confident that our drivers do everything possible to stay within the law, and to be polite and courteous.
“Cockburn Street is one of the most difficult streets to make deliveries in, especially during the last two years with many cafes having awnings and extensions on the pavement which reduce walking space."
Dawn was contacted for comment.
A council spokesperson, meanwhile, pledged new parking restrictions to try and tackle the issue.
They added: “We are aware there have been some issues with inconsiderate parking on Cockburn Street and we are in the process of introducing some changes to prohibit loading between the junction of the High Street and Fleshmarket Close (which will cover the footpaths at this point). We’ve also increased enforcement patrols in the area to manage parking better, where we have the legal powers to do so.
"Our Street Enforcement team will also continue to monitor the area to ensure businesses present their trade waste properly.
“These changes aim to strike a balance between pedestrian safety, access for disabled people and the essential requirements for the street’s businesses to operate.”
