Written submission from Douglas Gilroy (DBE0194)
I am writing on behalf of myself and my wife Margaret Gilroy to submit a response to your above enquiry. Margaret and I are both blind and use a guiding cane when manoeuvring in the built environment. To have safe freedom of movement and access to the built environment, we need footways/pavements which are separated from the road carriageway and vehicular traffic, whilst free of obstacles and parked vehicles. Controlled crossing points, such as “puffen” type are required to enable us to cross roads safely.
It is an accepted fact that for “shared spaces to work, they require “eye to eye” contact between vehicle drivers and pedestrians. Clearly and quite self evidently, this is something neither myself or Margaret can do! Consequently, we are unable to use shared spaces, hence increasing number of our high streets in our town’s and city’s are becoming no go areas for us. Where shared spaces are being introduced, this is the provision of a service at a lesser standard than that being provided to non-disabled people and therefore is a breach of our rights under the Equality Act. A totally unacceptable situation and a denial of our rights as citizens and to safe freedom of movement. Inability to access and use the built environment reduces our ability to socialise and can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression.
We fully support and endorse the call by Lord Chris Holmes, for the immediate introduction of a moratorium on introducing any more shared spaces, until full informed research and consultation has occurred. We also urge the committee members to call for a review of documents such as the DFT’s “Inclusive mobility, best practise guidance”, issued 2000.
We warmly welcome and support Transport Scotland’s initiative in their creation of their “Roads for all Forum” and the undertaking of trials into “traffic signals for the 21st century” and hope these forward looking type of ideas can be taken up and replicated by the Westminster Government.