Mobility trap
The raising of a pedestrian crossing has create a real trap for mobility scooter and wheelchairs, as one of our residents recently found out. Entering the crossing Texas Street Denise Evan’s wheelchair suddenly tipped backwards as it climbed the steep gradient from the gutter.
Denise said “its really frightens me”, she cannot negotiate that crossing and so has to go further down the footpath and cross on the road. She adds that others have to do the same “ it’s not just me, we see it all the time, and somebody will get hurt.
Being between the Kitchener Street and Jellicoe Street business areas this crossing is very well used and thought should have gone into ensuring that it is mobility friendly. Fixing it is so simple and cost peanuts. In cases such as this the Carterton District Council puts a steel plate between the footpath an raised crossing so providing a smooth transition.
Surely the Council should be able to make this a priority? Denise adds that the crossing at Cool Change is also really dangerous for the same reason and should be attended to.
It is all too easy for we fully mobile people to overlook the difficulties, sometimes unwittingly, put in the way of those dependant on wheels to get around. Not just the state of crossings and footpaths but also the lack of. There is no footpath along northern Princess Street which is not just a very busy through road but also with high number of tourists moving between the vineyards. Residents sharing the road with a high volume of traffic is dangerous and frightening experience particularly if confined to a mobility scooter or wheelchair.
The council’s attention has been drawn to this situation but have replied that providing a footpath is a matter funds. A very satisfactory footpath of crushed lime rolled to a solid surface was put in for commuters between the Featherston railway station and the town centre simply and quickly. It certainly must have been only a minimal amount cash wise.
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