“Disabled treated like second class citizens”

MOTORISTS in Warrington treat the disabled like second class citizens through pavement parking.
That’s the view of Geoff Settle, chairman of Warrington Visually Impaired People, who is furious at the lack of consideration given to disabled and visually impaired people.
He said: “ If recommendations by the Transport Committee to the Government about pavement parking are implemented, councils in England will be handed powers to penalise ‘anti-social parking behaviour.’
“This can’t come a day too soon for our members.” that Warrington like other councils is treating it’s disable and visually impaired people as second-class citizens.
“As a grandparent pushing our grandson’s buggy and someone with osteoarthritic hips, I also have to avoid car wing mirrors and tree branches on the little pavement space that motorists leave.
“I often give up and walk in the road in order to get passed these obstacles. This is what my members face daily.!”
Mr Settle said one WVIP member could not leave his house because of cars parked on the pavement nearby. As a result he had been forced to stop attending therapy counselling where he was being helped come to terms with the fact that he would soon become totally blind.
WVIP contacted the council but were told there was nothing they could do. They suggested the man call the police . He did so – but had to wake five weeks for a response.
Mr Settle added: “If I am struggling to resolve this issue after being a former councillor for six years and a WVIP driver for 10, using all my contacts and knowledge of the system, what hope have others got?”