The Forth Road Bridge is totally closed...

[cashewnutty]

...what a nightmare that is going to be.

I live in Fife and DH works in Edinburgh. He gets the train but now they will be mobbed. Not good for businesses as a whole. The Kincardine Bridge will be mobbed and the roads around there are not great.

I hope they fix it soon.

Iggi maybe people had been arseholes about it and blocked in residents (maybe abandoning cars as there was a train due?) or were in dangerous positions/double parked etc? It only takes a few to spoil it for everyone unfortunately. Were they directing people to anywhere where they would be able to park?

If the decision for the new bridge had been taken quicker in the late 90s early 00s when the stress on the bridge was becoming apparent then their would be two bridges already. When the new bridge opens the old one will only take public transport, cyclists and pedestrians. The bridge will b v quiet, I think the toll of the last 50 years is demonstrated by the plans for its future use.

No I don't think so. Looked like it was just to ensure no one parked on the streets with houses - there weren't lines on the road. Normal parking restrictions would already cover people causing an obstruction (they could be towed away) it does seem a bit ott especially given we'd heard restrictions would be relaxed not increased! Mind you I did not see it for myself.

Do you think other bridges will be having closer inspections just now in case something similar happens and have a whole host of works going on across the country?

I parked at Dalmeny yesterday; the road leading to the station was gridlocked, with parked cars blocking one side of the road & buses/lorries etc struggling to get through the one remaining lane.

By the time I got back from work it had been coned off. It all seems very negative - telling you were not to park instead of directing you to somewhere suitable. and a lot of NIMBY-ism from the home owners in the expensive estate, apparently

The road was coned off on the approach to Dalmeny station because cars were parked in such a way that oncoming traffic couldn't get through. It was gridlock, and the situation became dangerous - frustrated/desperate drivers were mounting the kerb to get past. A friend said she had to walk sideways with her back to the fence because cars were driving on the pavement. This is right outside the local high school, and very close to a primary school. I'm sure no-one would want any injuries as a result of all this.

I agree that coning it off without directing drivers to an alternative wasn't great, however. There's now been a Facebook page set up where residents in Queensferry/Dalmeny can offer their driveways to those in need of a parking space. It's a small gesture but might help a few folk out

Dd was on traffic duty at clackmanan bridge today she said it was very busy

Owners of the Maid of the Forth passenger ferry, used for tourists, have been in talks with Transport Scotland. No decision has yet been made.

She can carry 225 passengers, with 5 staff.

I think the extra passenger boat etc whilst good is not going to help the majority of people who use the bridge as 2/3rds need to be elsewhere than Edinburgh.

The passenger boat would be great. Seems like a more long-term solution though doesn't it...

(I do realise it won't help a lot of people who work elsewhere, or need to be mobile!)

And of course there will need to be transport links (probably buses) at either side, it may not be practical. But it's an option being explored. :)

As an aside, I wonder how many people will change permanently to buses rather than commuting by car, when they realise that buses these days are a lot posher than they were a couple of decades ago. Proper heating/aircon (needed maybe twice a year ), loos, free wifi...

We just don't have a decent joined up public transport infrastructure. If I can't even get a child to a school 5 miles away without involving at least two changes of buses or a train and a 3 mile walk then what hope have they of dealing effectively with the thousands of daily commuters over a bridge. Incidentally despite being 30 miles away from that bridge, that 5 mile journey by car has gone from 15 minutes to half an hour since measures to help cope with the extra traffic have been put in place, so I dread to see what impact it has had on those more local.

Perhaps this crisis will, in the long run, lead to better public transport? Better to spend money looking into that, than some stupid parliamentary inquiry into which way the FRB has voted for the past 50 years.

Shit public transport is what is causing (or casued) all the issues in the first place and that is (for a change) not laying the blame at any one parties door.

The laugh in my case is that they run a perfectly good usable service to school that only operates in the holidays but not in term time. The reason being that the bus is used for the contracted school service too. So, in order for it to be in place to service the contracted service, it runs far too early for other pupils to use it and also doesn't go as close to the school. Yet in the holidays it seems to be perfectly fine to run it half an hour later - I really struggle to see how that is any use to regular users I also asked if it could at least be rerouted up a road where a lot of pupils would be able to access it and was told "no" becasue this was the only service between A & C. I then pointed out that if they re-routed it then it would be the only service between B and C :) so unless they could identify that there were more existing users than potential users then their reasoning was shite. I am guessing there are no users from A to C as why wouldn't they be annoyed that there service leaves half an hour later every time the kids aren't in school? Anyway I digress... :o

Wonder if you live near me other. Only service bus to my sons school arrives an hour too early in the term time despite lots of children from here attending "out of catchment".
For me to use public transport to get to work I would have to get a bus to travel the two miles to the station, then two trains - chances of the timings coinciding are nil and it would take me a couple of hours to travel 27 miles. Or I get the bus to the main bus station and then take two more buses. Same as above.

Maybe demented, does he wear a blue blazer?

Thought this was quite amusing

Vinyl

Major delays on the trains in both directions today means I'm 5 hours into my commute and only just left Haymarket on the way back to Dunfermline Town. Full of the cold and 7 months pregnant and I'm just about reaching breaking point...

There was an emergency on a train earlier where someone had to be taken off with paramedics. That might be the delay.

Cheeseypop - I think you need to be off sick for a day or two to recoup energy. When did you plan to start mat leave? Any scope for moving that forward?

Meant to start ML on Hogmanay but very tempted at the moment to try to move it forward if possible. I've got a fair amount of work to do before I finish up which is a concern, but if I drive myself into the ground I'll just end up too exhausted and unwell to do any of it. Maybe I'll feel better after an early night tonight, and might even stop feeling so bloody sorry for myself

In good news I did ask someone for a seat and they obliged so that was good. It is a priority seat marked for pregnant women but they still looked a bit confused by my request!

I hope the person who took ill this morning is alright.

No other a purple one!

That's strange Cheesy I got a train from South Gyle to Dunfermline QM just after 3pm and it was only about 10 minutes late. It was very busy for the time of day but there were still seats available.