BBC News | SCOTLAND | Drivers see red over bridge delays

Aberdeen City Council has been urged to ease traffic congestion affecting tens of thousands of north east commuters.

A meeting of more than 2,000 people has called for action to tackle rush hour traffic jams after the Grandholm Bridge over the River Don was closed for safety reasons.

The congestion looks set to continue for weeks with the council complaining it is being hampered by lack of funds for its transport policy.

Aberdeen councillors faced anger and derision at a public meeting called about the traffic chaos.

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Motorists have been experiencing severe delays
About 2,500 people, many from the adjacent Bridge of Don area, expressed their displeasure at council officials' explanations for the rush hour gridlock.

The council's transport policy of creating more bus lanes and park-and-ride schemes came in for particular criticism.

The council has admitted it will take weeks to get the privately-owned bridge repaired.

Officials say that lack of funding is hampering their plans to tackle Aberdeen's wider traffic problems.

They say they have been frustrated by the Scottish Executive's refusal to fund a western bypass for the city.

A commitment to helping meet the transport needs of the north-east has come from Transport Minister Sarah Boyack, but not accompanied by the sort of funds the city council say they need.


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