The meeting follows one held in December with Bear Scotland and the city council’s transport engineers regarding the continuing difficulties at the roundabout’s junction with Kingsway East and Arbroath Road.

Bear Scotland agreed to come back with a report in March.

This report is not yet complete, but the raw data necessary is now being analysed.

Mr Corrigan said, “It will be a draft report in the first instance. I understand Bear Scotland have a meeting with Transport Scotland (Scottish Executive) before this report will be issued.

“During our discussions this morning, it was again recognised that the geometry of the whole area centred on the Scott Fyffe circle is extremely difficult, to say the least.

“The percentage of heavy goods vehicles using this circle is not particularly high, but the perception is of many heavy goods vehicles using this road.

“They are, however, an extremely vital part of our economy. Much of the problem here is resolving what mightbe seen as a conflict between trunk road traffic, local traffic and pedestrians.

“At this stage it is not envisaged that there will be an engineering solution and, while additional signage may be suggested, there is a view that tokenism — i.e. signs for their own sake — are not really going to help.”

There is growing concern that the roundabout — which connects many of the city’s arterial routes — requires a surface crossing point for the hundreds of school pupils crossing Arbroath Road to Craigie High and Craigiebarns Primary.

At present, the only “safe” crossing is a disliked underpass at Monymusk Road.

Mr Corrigan added, “It was agreed that whatever solution is found, the subway might have to be closed, but again the difficulty is going to be to enable schoolchildren to cross the Arbroath Road safely on their way to and from school.

“Again the difficulty is in arriving at an engineering solution, but all options are being considered, such as speed reduction on that part of Arbroath Road and the importance of co-ordination between all those in charge of children and their safety, i.e. schools, education department, engineers, etc.

“There is a dedicated officer in the education department whose remit is to look at safer routes to schools.

“Under the heading of the 4 E’s — encouraging, education, engineering and enforcement — officers are working to achieve maximum safety for children at all times.”