Disabled people and older people gathered outside 10 Downing Street today to protest at the continuing development of shared space areas where traffic and pedestrians ‘share’ space and road marking and traffic lights are removed which has proved to be so dangerous for pedestrians.
The protest called on the Government to halt all such developments and to implement the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Parliamentary Select committee who looked at this issue last spring. In their report they said:
The Government should not shy away from the debate on ‘shared spaces’ and take leadership. In light of evidence that such schemes are excluding disabled people from the areas in which they are used, urgent action is needed.
173.We recommend that the Government require local authorities to call a halt to the use of shared space schemes, pending clear national guidance that explicitly addresses the needs of disabled people. This should, in particular, instruct local authorities that controlled crossings and regular height kerbs are to be retained and that they should undertake an urgent review of existing schemes, working with disabled people in their area to identify the changes that are necessary and practicable.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmwomeq/631/63109.htm#_idTextAnchor072