The Edinburgh Reporter September 2023

99

EDINBURGH WOMEN’S Aid, (EWA)which

marks its 50th anniversary this year, is

appealing to all ‘Kiltwalkers’ to raise funds

for the charity to allow them to continue

to keep women and children in the

city affected by domestic abuse safe

and supported.

Staff at EWA are taking part including

CEO Linda Rodgers, who also recently

completed a ‘5k for 50 Days’ fundraiser for

the organisation, raising £1,630.

Linda said: “Our children’s rights and

participation service is so important. It

really matters that children’s voices are

heard in the areas that affect them, and

the experience of domestic abuse often

means that children are fearful of

speaking up.

“We hope to see you on Sept 17 at the

Kiltwalk, as part of the EWA team, raising

funds for this amazing service.”

http://www.edinwomensaid.co.uk/fundraising

Take part in the

Kiltwalk for EWA

All road users still have to respect each other

Break the cycle

of risky rides

Behind the fireworks story

By KIRSTY LEWIN

WHAT’S THE FASTEST way of getting around

Edinburgh during festival season? Those of us

with bikes, and a high tolerance for mayhem,

will tell you it’s cycling every time.

This year’s festival felt busier and more

chaotic than ever. Many pavements in the city

centre were too narrow for the crowds of

people rushing to shows, sightseeing, shopping

or just trying to get around for ordinary

everyday trips. Folk spilled out onto the roads,

stepped in front of buses, and wandered about

in cycle lanes. Bus drivers sat patiently in long

queues of traffic. Taxi drivers, urged on by

frantic passengers, did U-turns. Many drivers

of private vehicles doing non-essential trips

may have questioned their wisdom as they sat

in polluted air in congested hot spots across the

city. Those who had to drive no doubt cursed

those who could have used an alternative.

For me, a Portobello resident, cycling was

the obvious choice. It only takes 25 minutes to

cycle to the city centre via the Innocent Path. I

moved around the city at speed, under my own

steam, burning off calories, and arriving on

time for every festival event I attended. At

times it was fun. At times it was dangerous.

Occasionally it was almost lethal. Confident

assertive cycling in Edinburgh is essential at the

best of times – during the festival it can be

life-saving.

With the limited cycle infrastructure often

full of pedestrians, the most appropriate way to

ride is to ‘take the lane’. This means staying out

of the door zone of parked cars, and not being

forced into the gutter or railings by frustrated

drivers. Sadly, it sometimes results in getting

shouted at by an aggressive driver who wants to

get past, even when the traffic lights just ahead

are red. Most people will not cycle in the city

because of this. They are afraid of the heavy

traffic, afraid of the abuse they might face, and

anxious about cycling in such difficult

conditions. I don’t blame them. The city must

be designed and managed in a way that makes

cycling a safe and convenient option for

everyone, not just those that are confident

enough to take the lane.

Managing the city through the festival

period is a tough job. It could, though, be a lot

easier if we provided more space for people

walking and wheeling and enabled a lot more

people to cycle.

This would, of course, require major traffic

reduction. Is the council up to the task?

Linda Rodgers

CEO of

Edinburgh

Women’s Aid

THERE WAS no closing

fireworks event this year at the

end of the festival. Instead

there were nightly fireworks at

22.51 (or sometimes 22.52)

from The Royal Edinburgh

Military Tattoo. This year’s

theme Stories, without the

narration of old, was a

repetitive show sometimes

difficult to follow.

There has been vocal

criticism of the noise and

pollution from the flypasts

with The Red Arrows, RAF

Typhoons and and an A

flying over the city on several

evenings, posing the question

as to whether such events

should be allowed to continue?