Council is set to look at parking ban again (From Oxford Mail)
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Council is set to look at parking ban again
2:00pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News
By Tom Jennings, covering Witney and West Oxfordshire. Call me on 01865 425403
David Robertson
COUNCIL chiefs will look again at a decision that banned disabled drivers from parking in Witney town centre.
Oxfordshire County Council imposed a ban on loading and unloading along one side of High Street to help buses pass through the congested road.
That ban extends to blue badge holders.
Previously, the road had double yellow lines running along its stretch, which disabled drivers could park on.
But Witney traffic Advisory Committee voted last week to lift the loading ban and County Hall has promised to look again at the issue.
A decision is expected to be made early next year.
Blue Badge holder Ian Calcutt, 71, of Madley Park, said: “This is what we have been asking for.
“It will make a world of difference because I will be able to go into the Co-operative, the chemist and the 99p Store. We cannot get there at the moment.”
Mr Calcutt was left disabled after he contracted necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, in his left leg. His son Matthew, 27, has cerebral palsy and his wife Elaine, 59, has diabetes. The family used to park in front of Boots and the Co-op in High Street to visit the chemist and go shopping a couple of times a week.
To ease congestion and allow buses to pass, Witney Traffic Advisory group suggested removing three general parking bays along the opposite side of the street.
Mr Calcutt said disabled people were often unable to use these parking spaces because they filled up early in the day. He said disabled bays in Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre and Witan Way were too far away to walk to High Street shops.
Rodney Rose, county council cabinet member for transport, said: “We are looking at it because we have had complaints. We are still working to try and make sure we get something that suits everyone.”
He said he hoped a decision would be taken before March of next year.
But county council member for Witney East David Robertson, pictured, who attended the traffic advisory meeting, said: “I voted against the idea because I know from my experience on transport how much discussion went into getting the solution that went into place.
“My view was that we should not be taking a decision without the background information and knowing why it was changed in the first place. “All we were getting was the disabled people’s views.”
Comments(4)
Myron Blatz
says...
11:48pm Wed 17 Oct 12
King Joke
says...
12:40pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Myron Blatz wrote:That is well wide of the mark Myron. Buses in Witney are mainly the Stagecoach, which operate an entirely low-floor fleet purchased at great expense, specifically to cater for those with lower mobility. MOst of these are Enviro 400 double-decks which have enough space for pushchairs AND wheelchairs.
Amazing how very few disabled County and local Councillors or MPs there seem to be, isn't it? There is also the commercial consideration for bus operators to get priority over other road users to increase their transport monopoly and revenue income - especially on mainline routes which provide maximum revenue from minimum operational liability. As for the disabled being able to take advantage of buses instead of cars, many inner city and town buses often seem to be overcrowded with young parents and their buggies, with no thought to people using frames, sticks or wheelchairs. Finally, that with so few decent town and city parking facilities now - especially in central Oxford - it increasingly seems that local and County councils view the disabled as an inconvenience.
Parking in an obstructive way, and clogging essential bus routes for other disabled and able-bodied people, is highly inconsiderate, whether you're disabled or not.
Rich is right, disabled drivers and bus passengers can be accommodated with some common sense. Disabled bays can be put in one side of the road, leaving enough room for buses. Everybody else can park in the vast, and free, car park two minutes' walk away behind the shops, or get a bus, which for most people in Witney will be frequent and have leather seats.
King Joke
says...
3:58pm Thu 18 Oct 12
So bus companies are not ignoring the legistlation, in fact they are re-configuring the bus interiors in order to further support it.
Big business, small business, it makes no difference, bus services need reasonably clear roads to run reliably. There are probably disabled people who are too poor or disabled to drive, who are being dreadfully disadvantaged by inconsiderate parking. THey need reliable transport too!
richwitney says...
5:46pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Why not change the parking outside Clarks and Boots to disabled only, which will provide the 4 or 5 disabled parking spaces that were removed?
A little bit of common sense is all that's required.