Background information
What’s happened
- Edinburgh’s Spaces for People covid active travel schemes used Temporary Traffic Orders (TTROs) which expire soon and cannot be renewed.
- The City of Edinburgh Council now wishes to convert the temporary schemes into experimental schemes, under Experimental Traffic Orders (ETROs), with a view to becoming permanent (with any changes) at the end of the 18 month ETRO duration.
- They will also now be called Travelling Safely rather than the covid-related Spaces for People name.
- An initial decision to convert the TTROs to ETROs was made in November 2021, as summarised in this document.
What’s next
The Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders use a revised legal procedure recently created by the Scottish Government – this is the first time the Council has used ETROs in this form.
In the upcoming months:
- The existing schemes will become legally valid under the ETROs, replacing the previous soon-to-expire TTROs (Temporary Traffic Regulation Order), and will remain valid for (up to) 18 months
- People can comment and formally object (up to 20 May 2023) and objections will be dealt with in the subsequent 12 months
- The results of the consultation, together with Council monitoring of the schemes, will be reported to the Transport Committee, with any recommendations by officers for changes
- Under the revised ETRO rules, the Council then has the power to declare the schemes permanent, with or without changes, and without needing to advertise a further ‘traditional’ TRO
Take action
Contact the council and comment on the Orders.
- Follow the instructions on the Council website here (be sure to quote the relevant number(s) when responding)
- Contact: TRO.Consultations@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Spokes intends to produce a detailed response, so have requested they are copied in to any comments made on the schemes.
