A Sustrans report “Transforming Mobility” published on Tuesday will call for changes to transport so that disabled people are not “further excluded in society”.
The report says that around half of disabled people in the UK think government could do better. One of the proposals in the report is to legalise zebra crossings on side streets. This was called for in Edinburgh previously by Cllr Neil Ross.
By law, all zebra crossings in the UK must currently include belisha beacons and zig-zag approach markings. Side road zebras, commonly used across Europe, do not include beacons or zig-zag markings. This ensures they can be used at a side road junction, are quick to install and much cheaper.
A two-year trial of side road zebras in Manchester found that drivers give way 65% more times than when the road markings are not present.
The findings in the Sustrans report come from a survey of 1,107 disabled people across the UK, and workshops with disabled people in Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Oxford.
The survey found that 72% of disabled people support giving greater priority and investment to low-cost solutions, such as side road zebra crossings, or step-free access when crossing roads.
An Edinburgh man with sight loss is featured in the report. Joe who is registered blind speaks about the everyday issues he faces getting around the capital. He said: “I like walking around independently like a sighted person, but not all the time I can manage it, because, for example, on some pavements, the dropped kerb is not very obvious.
“The other thing I think should be improved is that not all the traffic lights have the beeping sound in Edinburgh […] the beeping sound is useful because it can help me to cross the road in a straight direction.
“I think when the council or the organisations have meetings, they should ask some blind people to join in the meeting to give advice, or do testing by looking for some blind people to do it.”
Edinburgh and Glasgow are among local authorities across the UK currently developing plans to transform the way people move around and better connect our transport systems. The evidence from Sustrans’ report seeks to support these efforts.
Five key ideas
Alongside side road zebra crossings, the report highlights four other ways to help improve transport connections for disabled people:
- Rebalance street space to prioritise through–traffic on some roads while reducing it on others. This can improve speed and reliability for cars and buses, whilst making it safer and more pleasant to walk, wheel and cycle. 65% of disabled people support local councils developing a framework for how streets should be used for different types of transport.
- Reduce unnecessary car parking to free up public space and declutter pavements. Only 22% of disabled people oppose reducing on-street visitor parking spaces, excluding disabled parking.
- Develop a network of ‘mobility hubs’ to seamlessly connect walking, wheeling and cycling with buses, trams and trains. 81% of disabled people support providing a better experience when changing between different types of transport.
- For the rest of the UK to follow Scotland’s lead in setting up paid access panels of disabled people to inform local transport policy and practice. 65% of disabled people support giving funding to local councils to create access panels to inform and shape transport plans and projects.
Tim Burns, Head of Research at Sustrans, said: “The next ten years will see exciting changes in the way we move around our cities, as local authorities respond to the UK’s economic, health and environmental challenges with visionary transport plans.
“To be truly transformative, these plans need strong, local leadership to transform communities and to put disabled people at their heart.
“We know that disabled people face greater barriers to getting around and accessing the things they need to live well while also wanting to travel more sustainably.
“Our report highlights tried and tested ideas, increasingly being adopted in the UK. Disabled people want transport to change. When disabled people are represented, the outcomes are better for everyone.”
Dr Ruth Cumming, Senior Research Officer at Transport for All, who partnered with Sustrans in developing the report, said: “We all need the freedom to travel – for work, for school, for shopping, and to be able to make those journeys easily and safely. Disabled people are often blocked from that.
“Including disabled people as experts in transport and urban planning ensures our requirements are built into developments, creating streets, communities and cities that we can all use and enjoy.”
To read the full report, visit the Sustrans website.
