On 19 September Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for South Queensferry, raised the issue of “antisocial car racing” in the constituency.
Drivers and motorcyclists have been causing disturbance to local residents for four years, but the problem has escalated this summer.
Local resident Andy Scott, speaking to The Edinburgh Reporter, said: “This is badly affecting the residents and businesses, particularly those living by the pier facing the waterfront”.
He stated: “It disrupts our evenings. It usually starts around seven or eight, and can continue till the early hours of the morning”.
Cole-Hamilton said “we’ve reached a tipping point. I stand with the residents and don’t think the council or the police understand the measure of that frustration”.
He called a community meeting on 18 September, bringing together local residents, council officials, and the Chief Inspector for Police Scotland.
He described the meeting as “packed”.
“People who arrived slightly late had to turn away because they literally could not get into the building,” said Cole-Hamilton.
The day after the meeting, Cole-Hamilton took the issue to Parliament.
He urged First Minister John Swinney to set up a national taskforce to combat the “criminal behaviour”.
He said: “The drivers of these vehicles will abuse and intimidate anyone who approaches them where they gather, in the car park at the foot of the iconic Forth Bridge. Pets have been killed, hotels have lost trade, nobody is getting any sleep”.
Swinney said he was “very happy to explore all possibilities,” calling road fatalities “a very serious and current problem”.
Currently, Scottish local authorities are unable to install speed cameras in their areas. However, Cole-Hamilton believes the Scottish Parliament should change this law.
He said: “It’s time for our parliament and Scottish local authorities to work together towards a lasting solution”.
Anti-social racing has taken place in towns all over Scotland, including in Glasgow and Inverness.
“Forth Rail Bridge, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Ecosse, Grande-Bretagne, Royaume-Uni.” by byb64 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.