The charity Guide Dogs has called on the Government to halt shared space scheme, which it claims are making some town centres ‘no-go zones’.
The third sector group said there should be a moratorium on new shared-surface schemes, where kerbs and pedestrian crossing points are often removed, until new guidance is issued to ensure they are safe for all pedestrians.
Guide Dogs has also published details of a new survey, which shows seven out of 10 people feel they are put in danger by shared-surface schemes.
The survey echoes separate research by YouGov, which shows two thirds (66%) of people who live in cities believe traditional street designs are safer.
‘Imagine you are walking through a town centre and couldn’t tell where it was safe to walk or cross the road,’ said senior campaign manager, James White.
‘It’s a frightening experience that many of our guide dog owners face when forced to use shared-surface schemes.
‘It makes some town centres no-go zones and stop people doing everyday things, such as going to the shops or visiting family and friends,’ added Mr White.
The charity has also called on the Government to issue clear and up-to-date guidance on accessibility to local authorities, and recommended it makes sure disabled people are formally engaged at the beginning of the planning process when street designs are being considered.
In evidence to a recent Women and Equalities Committee, which also criticised shared space, one of the key architects of the concept in the UK, Ben Hamilton-Baillie, referred to a raft of evidence supporting the safety of such schemes.
He wrote: 'To date, every meta-study of shared space schemes has noted overall reductions in the severity of injuries where shared space has been implemented. Such reductions in severity are closely associated with lower speeds.
'Examples of studies include Jaredson 2002 (Sweden), Torch 2006 (Sweden), Quimby and Castle 2006 (Netherlands , Denmark , United Kingdom), Swinburne 2006 (UK), NHL 2007 (Netherlands), Bull 2007 (Sweden), Gerlach et al. 2008, 2008a (Netherlands), Van der Velde and 2008 Bos (Netherlands), Gerlach, Ortlepp and Voss 2009 (Netherlands , Germany , Switzerland), and Reid, Kocak and Hunt 2009 (Netherlands , UK). Other recent UK studies include Hammond & Musselwhite 2013 (case studies in Hereford), and the comprehensive “Appraisal of Shared Space” by MVA for the Department for Transport (2010), all of which confirm overall reductions in casualties, especially more severe injuries.'
This article first appeared on LocalGov.
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