‘Disgusting’ threat to elderly people

09 July 2007

Local authorities in Scotland are being targeted by the country’s elderly, in an effort to make them tackle the ‘unacceptable and disgusting’ state of footways.
Help the Aged in Scotland is leading an appeal to councils, following the recent National Falls Awareness Day. The organisation has claimed that 56% of people aged over 65 avoid routes that may have faulty or damaged footways, due to ‘thousands’ of injuries caused by trips and falls.
The old paving stones in parts of Edinburgh and Glasgow were the worst features, often where there had been road works or utilities works, resulting in uneven surfaces, a Help the Aged in Scotland spokesman said. Narrow streets, where cars were forced to park on the footways and thus, causing damage, were also another cause for uneven surfaces.
‘The overall state of Scotland’s pavements is disgusting. We know councils are under pressure with funding, but it gets to the stage where people are afraid to go out. We feel it’s time those concerns are addressed,’ he said.
The organisation was issuing postcards to encourage older people, their friends, family and the public to highlight an area of dangerous paving to the local street maintenance service. It would be following up with the councils at a later date to see what would be done.
Edinburgh City Council’s executive member for transport, Councillor Phil Wheeler, said: ‘Safety is a priority for all road-users, and pavements are checked and monitored by officers on a regular basis.
‘The council is spending record amounts improving roads and pavements – more than £64M was spent on repairs and improvements between 2002 and 2007 – and this will remain a priority in coming years.’ Glasgow City Council employs staff to carry out routine inspections each month.
‘We are the only Scottish local authority to have a team of lay assessors, members of the public who have volunteered to report road any pavement defects, following special training from the council’s roads department,’ a council spokeswoman said.
‘Often, problems can occur because utility and other companies do not reinstate roads or pavement properly after carrying out work – something they are obliged to do.
‘It is a situation we are aware of and working towards resolving.’

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‘Disgusting’ threat to elderly people

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