Let cars into High Street

Feb 28 2008 By Marc McLean, Lennox Herald

STRUGGLING Dumbarton shopkeepers are pleading with the council to follow Paisley and complete a U-turn on its failing traffic system.

Business For Dumbarton, which represents High Street traders, this week spoke out after Renfrewshire Council decided to re-open parts of Paisley centre to cars.

Paisley’s traffic system mirrors Dumbarton’s but, following more than 10 years of campaigning by suffering shop owners, council bosses in the neighbouring authority have admitted it is not working. and are taking action in a desperate bid to revitalise their town centre.

Robert Ryan, chairman of Business For Dumbarton, said: “Their local council has acknowledged that their traffic management scheme, held up by West Dunbartonshire Council as best practice and copied by them, has been a disaster.

“At a recent meeting of Dumbarton East Community Council, Jack McAulay, the West Dunbartonshire Council representative at the meeting, said the current system in Dumbarton was ‘working well’. Mr McAulay must be in a minority of one if he thinks that. In discussing a proposal of a one-way system, Mr McAulay said it ‘wouldn't be acceptable to the bus companies’.

“I find it interesting that whilst the views of struggling shopkeepers in Dumbarton have been ignored for years, subsidised bus companies have an apparent veto on traffic regulations.

“Renfrewshire Council has recognised the error in banning cars from Paisley's streets. It is now time for West Dunbartonshire Council to do the same.”

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesman said: “The Dumbarton situation is very different to Paisley and any comparisons with Paisley in the past have been used negatively by the retail community and not by West Dunbartonshire Council officers — and certainly not held up as best practice.

“We have consistently stated that every town centre is unique and has its own issues to resolve.

“The council is developing a masterplan for Dumbarton which will provide a framework for future traffic management recognising all of the opportunities and threats which are foreseen at the moment.”

He added: “The council has recently reviewed the car parking in the town centre and agreed a set of measures in response to feedback from the whole community.”

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TRAFFIC TROUBLES: Traders are urging the council to scrap Dumbarton High Street traffic system.