Fresh calls have been made to ban vehicles from a partly-pedestrianised Aberdeen street after a video emerged showing a bus creeping up behind an oblivious young woman.
Broad Street has been renovated at a cost of £3.2million, but Aberdeen City Council opted to allow cyclists and buses to continue using the central thoroughfare despite concerns about public safety.
The city council’s roads spokesman said it is a “shared space that ensures the pedestrian is the priority”.
But a video clip has now emerged online, has renewed fears that the arrangement is an “accident waiting to happen”.
North East Scotland College business student Gregor McAuslan regularly uses the street and recently filmed a 10-second clip showing a bus edging close behind a woman as she strolled along the road looking at her phone – completely unaware of its proximity.
The 17-year-old, originally from Peterhead, said: “I quite often see people walking across the street and buses tooting their horns at them, I think it is a problem that people do not realise the street is not fully pedestrianised.
“The video has generated a lot of comments online, and I hope it can cause a bit more discussion on whether this situation is something we really want.”
The street has been cobbled over, and has no kerb or road markings, creating the illusion of a wide open space.
Liberal Democrat councillor, Steve Delaney, previously argued that Broad Street should have been off-limits to all vehicles upon its reopening.
He said: “Broad Street continues to raise serious concerns.
“It is confusing for pedestrians, and can’t be much fun for bus drivers either.
“The decision to allow buses and pedestrians to share the same physical space with no kerb line is an accident waiting to happen.”
Council roads spokesman Ross Grant said: “The new road layout of Broad Street is a shared space that ensures the pedestrian is the priority, while still allowing buses use of the space.
“I use the space multiple times every day, as a pedestrian and passenger, and generally have found bus drivers to be very careful and respectful of other users, however it is incredibly important and useful to have this feedback which, I’m sure, both operators will take seriously and consider accordingly.
“As information is gathered, we will conduct a safety review at six months and a full review after 12 months of the opening of the space.”
