§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made by local authorities with provision of road-crossing facilities for(a) the visually disabled and (b) other disabled; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyThe Department of Transport has worked closely with local authorities since 1986 to give guidance on the use of dropped kerbs at road crossings to help wheelchair users in conjunction with tactile surfaces to provide guidance and warning to visually impaired pedestrians. The Department's guidance in this area is very widely followed by local authorities all over the country.
In addition to tactile surfaces, audible signals at ordinary pelican crossings have been in use for some 25 years. More recently, the "Bleep and Sweep" audible unit has been developed by the Department for use at staggered pelican crossings. This provides a directional sound which overcomes the danger of confusion to visually impaired pedestrians. A tactile cone has also been introduced which provides guidance to pedestrians who are both deaf and blind. Most recently, puffin crossings have been introduced on a trial basis by the Department. These have the major advantage for elderly and disabled pedestrians that the amount of crossing time can be extended to accommodate the needs of those who move more slowly.
Local authorities are being encouraged to include these facilities in both new designs and modifications.