Disabled and older campaigners say NO to shared space
Transport for All
On Tuesday 5th September, Transport for All (TfA) and the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK) were joined...
On Tuesday 5th September, Transport for All (TfA) and the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK) were joined by campaigners from across the Country to protest outside Parliament – calling on the Government to stop the introduction of shared space schemes. This came after the Women and Equalities Select Committee Report called for their immediate halt in April of this year. They supported Michael Pringle, who’s three year old child Clinton Pringle was killed in shared space in Jersey last year. Michael Pringle travelled down from Scotland to lead the group to petition Number 10 on this issue.
Shared space schemes are a design concept which removes the barriers between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists encouraging everybody to share the same road space.
Removing the kerbs and controlled crossings from our streets takes away the guide that many people with visual impairments use to navigate and cross the roads, robbing them of their ability to travel independently.
These schemes have been introduced across the country, including on Exhibition Road here in London despite calls from Disability Rights Campaigners, the House of Lords and Community organisations not do so.
At Transport for All, we’ve heard from countless Disabled and older people who are afraid to walk through shared spaces. The Government must take action to prevent these schemes from turning our high streets and public spaces into no go zones for Disabled and older people. It needs to immediately implement the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Select Committee Report ‘Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment’ on shared space published 19th April 2017.
What’s next?
The campaign on shared spaces is far from over – over the next few months TfA will be working with our partner organisations to feed into research on shared space schemes and continuing to call on the Government to halt their introduction.
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