Disabled man calls for Court Drive changes
L13-264 Peter Stapleton on Court Drive Dunstable, it is not safe to cross if your in a wheelchair Rick Redman JR 10 5.3.13
A wheelchair-bound man has expressed his anger at the new road layout in Court Drive, calling it “unsafe” for pedestrians with a disability.
Pete Stapleton, 57, wrote a letter to councillor Nigel Young asking for traffic lights to be brought back to the area.
In his letter, he wrote: “It’s a disaster, the drawing board concept simply has not been seen through to a practical implementation, the ideology overrides the practicality.
“Let me make it clear, I want to see the re-instatement of a traffic light-controlled crossing there. How else are kids and the blind supposed to cross the road safely?”
Mr Stapleton lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident in 1973 when a motorist fell asleep at the wheel.
Mr Young responded by writing: “I appreciate that opening up Court Drive to two-way traffic before the scheme was complete has meant that the elements of the scheme, such as the crossings, are not very clear to drivers and pedestrians. We were under pressure from the public to make the area two-way to traffic as the one-way system was causing a lot of frustration and impacted on local businesses.”
He said changes were made to original plans following discussions with an organisation that represents blind people.
Mick Dillon, chief executive of the Disability Resource Centre in Beds, said: “We have had no dialogue with Amey. However, we welcome the opportunity to discuss how the needs of people with a disability can be met in Court Drive.”
Mr Stapleton, who calls himself the ‘one-legged hang-glider’ due to his favourite pastime, said: “Hang-gliding is much safer than crossing this road.”
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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