City centre traders have been made to wait yet again to learn the future of Aberdeen’s bus gates after councillors ran out of time to make a decision.
This is the second time a final decision on Aberdeen's bus gates has been delayed as councillors were forced to fight to see vital legal documents on the future of the scheme at a chaotic council meeting.
After months of campaigning for change, the controversial traffic measures were expected to be made permanent yesterday - but a the council meeting was adjourned at 4.30pm without a decision, with their future still up in the air.
Labour and Conservative opposition councillors were to join forces in an attempt to push through the Common Sense Compromise drafted by Union Street traders. The administration looked set to leave the bus gates largely unchanged, but with the right hand turn ban from Union Terrace onto Rosemount Viaduct lifted. They also propose reinstating a night bus service.
There was an argument about the legal advice upon which council officers have based their claim that the Scottish Government might be inclined to claim back £8 million paid for interlinked roadworks on South College Street if the bus priority measures were undone.
Eventually, it was conceded that the legal advice could be printed off and shown to the leaders of political groups – but not other councillors.
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