Much has been said about Aberdeen City Council’s narrow vote to pedestrianise Union Street.
In their wisdom, I don’t think the council even considered the problems with public transport and access for the infirm.
Did they do a study? I believe not. It’s my opinion they just rushed in with a personal project under the guise of Spaces for People where the funds from the Scottish Government were available, but wrongly used outside the rules for social-distancing. I wonder if the government will reclaim any misused funding.
I also think Union Street for shoppers, as a public transport-free zone, is doomed.
When the Trinity Centre was opened, ease of access probably brought more footfall to the city centre from outlying towns.
Then the Bon Accord and St Nicholas centres opened, which probably lowered footfall, as folk could do most of their high street shopping in one place. The Academy never took off as expected, and when Union Square was built, which has public access from one of the busiest streets, town, or public transport, Union Street shopping was doomed.
The city council is killing off Aberdeen with their “pie in the sky” dreams.
John Hutchison.
Don’t pass the buck
Your story regarding the closure of Carden Medical Practice by January 2022 simply shows the immense pressure any health secretary is under due to a shortage of GPs, not to mention many other specialities within the NHS.
Tory MSP Liam Kerr has probably received a barrage of complaints from patients at the practice, so he simply passes the buck and blames Humza Yousaf for a lack of “workforce planning”, whatever that means.
No health secretary can force newly qualified doctors to become GPs, and if truth be known, many recently-retired GPs claim the system is broken. Sadly, there’s no magic wand.
Andrew Lamb, West Road, Fraserburgh.