Surface tension

Councils are levelling our high streets to make them ‘people-friendly’, says Helen Smith. But the policy is having unwelcome consequences for disabled people

There is a growing trend by councils to develop their town centres as “shared surfaces” – removing the kerb between the footpath and road, so pavements and roads are at the same level. This idea is supposed to reduce the dominance of vehicles and make streets more “people-friendly”.

But, as pedestrians and motorists are then expected to acknowledge each other through “eye contact”, the idea is not very “friendly” for sight-impaired people.

Research by the charity Guide Dogs* has shown that shared surfaces can seriously undermine the safety, confidence and independence of blind and partially-sighted people.

Carol Thomas, access and inclusion manager for Guide Dogs, said: “The kerb edge is fundamental to the mobility of blind and partially-sighted people, particularly guide dog-owners and long cane-users who are trained to use it as the key orientation cue in the street environment.”

But the safety of other disabled people may also be compromised.

Neil Betteridge, chief executive of Arthritis Care, said people with arthritis are also likely to feel vulnerable in shared areas, where cyclists and others may be travelling at speed.

“Without the physical ability to navigate such spaces deftly, people with arthritis are at a level of risk which may reduce their confidence in travelling to such an extent they will in effect be excluded.”

Last year, more than 20 UK disability organisations released a statement saying that shared surfaces would be frightening and dangerous for many disabled and older people.

Research commissioned by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) highlighted similar concerns about shared surfaces in home zones – residential streets with shared surfaces.

Despite these concerns, some local authorities are pressing ahead with “shared surface” projects.

This could mean these councils are not fulfilling their disability equality duty (DED) under the Disability Discrimination Act. The DED requires public bodies to use their influence over the built environment to promote equality for disabled people.

More research on this issue has now been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT), and Guide Dogs is urging local authorities to stop implementing shared surfaces while the DfT research is undertaken.

One accident has already been reported, on a “shared surface” in Newbury, where a three-year-old broke his leg when he was hit by a bike. Guide dog-owners in Hull, Dundee, Lowestoft and Coventry, which have shared surfaces, have also complained of near misses with buses and bikes.

Although planners argue that shared surfaces slow traffic, being hit by a bus at 15mph is still not a pleasant prospect. Surely local authorities shouldn’t wait until a pedestrian is killed before re-assessing if shared surfaces are appropriate for our town and city centres.

*More information at www.guidedogs.org.uk/sharedsurfaces

• Helen Smith is director of policy and campaigns for the disabled motorists’ charity Mobilise, and is a member of DPTAC