SCOTLAND’S transport minister Humza Yousaf will meet cycling safety campaigners after the death of a cyclist on Princes Street in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Council has confirmed it will review road safety measures in the area following the accident and say that tram operators have been asked to review their day-to-day operations to see if safety improvements can be made.
The 24-year-old woman, who had not been named when The National went to press, died on Wednesday morning after the wheel of her bike became caught in trams tracks at the west end of Princes Street at the junction with Lothian Road.
The cyclist fell into the path of a Rabbie’s tour bus taking tourists on a trip to the Highlands, with one of the passengers on board saying the cyclist “was stuck and lost her balance”. She was rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh following the accident but later succumbed to her injuries.
Campaigners and lawyers have been warning for years that a fatality might occur due to cyclists having to cross tram tracks in the city centre – more than 200 people have been injured in accidents associated with the tracks and court cases for compensation are ongoing.
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, raised the issue of the fatality – the first involving Edinburgh trams network – at First Minister’s Questions yesterday.
Johnstone, the co-convener of Holyrood’s cross-party group on cycling, said: “Can I ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to aid the inquiry into this devastating accident and whether the First Minister and her transport minister will meet with many groups and individuals who have been calling for safe conditions for cyclists and pedestrians in Edinburgh and across Scotland for many years to ensure no other family has to bear such an appalling loss?”
Sturgeon said the Scottish Government is assisting investigations into the incident, and she highlighted increased investment in cycle safety.
She said: “The relevant minister would be willing to meet with cycling groups, not just in Edinburgh but across the country, to look at what further action we can take to make sure cycling, which is an activity we want to encourage, is as safe as it possibly can be for everyone who partakes in it.”
Johnstone welcomed the announcement. She said: “Cycling should be a safe way of getting about our towns and cities for everyday activities I’m pleased that the First Minister agreed to my request that the Transport Minister meets with campaign groups to discuss what can be done to prevent any further injuries or loss of life.”
An Edinburgh council spokesperson said: “ We will carry out a road safety assessment of the area, considering all users and aspects of the junction and its approaches.”
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