Motorists were today reminded to heed road signs that only buses are allowed on the north-bound carriageway of Broad Street between the Queen Street junction and Upperkirkgate junction.
The reminder follows on from a total of 122 vehicles observed going on the road in just a two-hour period from 11.15am to 1.15pm on Friday (December 4).
Aberdeen City Council Communities, Housing and Infrastructure convener, Councillor Neil Cooney, said: “We appreciate the restrictions will inconvenience motorists coming to Aberdeen but they are there to help protect the safety of people working on the building site and prevent congestions.
“They are also in place to protect motorists, particularly cyclists, as the new bus lane which has been created is quite narrow and does not allow for safe overtaking of the buses when they are stopped.
“Aberdeen city centre gets extremely busy during the festive season so we’re asking people to try not to drive there but if they have to, to use car parks on their side of the city and walk to other locations if possible rather than driving.
“Since the closure of Union Terrace, officers have seen an increase in the level of abuse of vehicles going through the ‘No Entry except Buses’ signage. Apart from the fact they are potentially endangering lives, they could also get points on their driving licence and a £100 fine.
“We would urge people to heed the signs saying no entry except for buses, and not to take a chance driving up the street.”
The traffic restriction order started on October 18, 2015 and has been put in place for 18 months as the site of the Marischal Square development is being extended.
All traffic – apart from buses and Aberdeen City Council gritting vehicles– is restricted on the north-bound side of Broad Street between the Queen Street junction and Upperkirkgate junction due to both safety reasons and potential congestion issues on Union Street at the Broad Street junction.
Cyclists are not permitted as the lane is too narrow and it could be dangerous for them. The lane is now a bus lane which allows buses to stop and pick up passengers waiting at the bus stop. No overtaking is permitted in the bus lane because it is too narrow - a cyclist would have to overtake buses going over the white lines onto the other side of the road with oncoming traffic coming towards them. Council officers, along with Police Scotland officers, deemed this to be a road safety issue, particularly given the length an overtaking manoeuvre may require.
Water-filled barriers have been constructed along the centre of Broad Street stop any overtaking as drivers will then be stuck behind the line of buses until they all move off.
Any non-authorised motorist caught by police going through the No Entry signs into the restricted lane faces getting three points on their driving licence and a fine of £100. The south-bound lane allows access to all vehicles.
Advanced signs highlighting the restrictions have been put up on Union Street on either approach to Broad Street and on Broad Street near the Queen Street junction. Large Vehicle Messaging Signs have also been installed on Union Street opposite the Market Street junction and on Broad Street, at the Queen Street junction. Additional road markings have also been provided on both Broad Street and Queen Street to highlight the restrictions. The large fixed electronic signs throughout the city at Lang Stracht, Auchmill Road, Great Southern Road, the A944 near Westhill, and Wellington Road all have display messages relating to both the Broad Street and Union Terrace traffic restrictions.
Motorists to park in the side of the city centre they come in from, use public transport as much as possible, including Park and Rides, First Bus and Stagecoach services, plus train services. They are also asked to make more use of Frederick Street and Marischal Street car parks.