Edinburgh street where man died in bus crash 'worst in the city', campaigners say

The street where a man died after being hit by a bus was once described as the “worst street in Edinburgh” for pedestrians.

A 74-year-old man died after being struck by a single-decker bus in the Cowgate area around 7.25pm on Saturday.

The area, which is lined with bars and nightclubs, was busy with revellers at the time of the incident due to the Halloween weekend and Scotland’s rugby international against Fiji at Murrayfield.

Police have urged members of the public not to share “distressing” images on social media following a fatal crash.

Living Streets, a group which campaigns for local safety and amenity, carried out an audit on the street for Edinburgh City Council eight years ago, which produced damning findings.

The street’s length was found to be one of the worst in the city, with heavy vehicular traffic causing hazards for pedestrians.

The group said Cowgate has “regularly” cropped up in their discussions since and has been a problem for several years.

Convenor David Hunter told STV News: “It is unique because of the number of people who are in the street at night time, often drinking, and there can be some very fast traffic.

“The council stopped vehicles from using the street after 10pm around 20 years ago, so it’s long been a problem.

“One of the things we’ve been campaigning for is extending the traffic ban to much earlier in the day during the Edinburgh Festival when the streets are full.

“The biggest problem is the dreadful pavements in places. Some people have to walk on the road. Some curbs would force someone using a wheelchair, or mobility users would have to go onto the road, particularly under the bridges.”

Current safety measures restrict vehicles from driving along the street from 10pm with a 20mph and Low Emission Zone also in place.

Buses, cars, taxis and HGVs are allowed to use the street prior to the 10pm curfew if they meet the emission standards.

The group has urged Edinburgh City Council to revisit plans to improve the street, such as adding chicanes or complete pedestrianisation.

Mr Hunter added that any changes would have to form part of “coherent overall plans to reduce traffic to make it safer in the Old Town.”

He added: “It’s a busy through road, with taxis, private hire cars, and coaches. It’s got far, far busier in the last ten years.

“It’s long been recognised that it’s a hazard with people drinking and visitors maybe not even understanding which way the traffic is coming.

“The council had plans to make some significant improvement to the Cowgate about five years ago, but they seem to have backslided.

“This is a wake-up call that says those plans need to be revisited.”

An extensive cordon was put in place in the street following the man being struck with pubs and bars within the area being told to close.

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, said: “We are aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family and those viewing them inadvertently. We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation.

“There has been a lot of speculation, and I would like to reassure the local community that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public.

“This was a tragic incident. We are investigating a crash, and our road policing officers, assisted by local officers, are continuing to carry out enquiries.”

“Anyone with concerns or any information which could assist the investigation should contact police.”