Council accused of patronising disabled people over city centre access
Campaigners have accused City of York Council of being patronising and at risk of discriminating against disabled people – after city centre streets were closed to traffic and blue badge parking changed.
A spokesperson for the council said some measures – such as the closure of Fossgate – have been reviewed and the local authority is committed to working with blue badge holders.
But that creating space for social distancing and pavement cafes was a priority.
The decision to close more streets to traffic and move blue badge parking to Monk Bar car park was taken by the council’s interim chief executive Ian Floyd, in consultation with senior officers and the council leader Keith Aspden, under emergency coronavirus powers.
Helen Jones of York Disability Rights Forum told councillors: “These fairly significant changes were communicated after they had been made and the information within the leaflet that we received was already out of date when we received it.
“The language in the leaflet was patronising.
“The way the council has behaved has shown a considerable lack of understanding about disability.”
‘Honour guard’
Wendy Loveday, chair of York Private Hire Association, added: “Disabled access by taxi for city centre streets must be reinstated before York Council is seen as guilty of discriminating against disabled people.”
Tania Parker, a disabled resident, told councillors about her experience trying to get to her hairdresser on Fossgate when the road was closed.
She said: “In the end, the two officers [at the barrier] walked one on either side of me like an honour guard.
“I certainly made an entrance – I hope I was worth it.
“The point is, some people can’t use public transport, finding it too difficult or tiring to negotiate. Some don’t use a wheelchair or scooter – I wouldn’t feel safe, and I would flatten small dogs.
“I understand the necessity of cutting back on traffic but there are exceptions.
“You have assumed all disabled people use wheelchairs or similar. They don’t.
“It is a privilege to live in York. I want to appreciate as much as I can of its beauty. Please don’t make it any more difficult for us.”
Changes have now been made to allow more people to access Fossgate.
The council has also created new blue badge bays at sites around the city centre and the free taxi service, from Monk Bar car park remains in place.
Temporary changes
James Gilchrist, the council’s assistant director for transport, told the meeting: “A lot of this is about economic recovery and it’s also obviously about public health and controlling the coronavirus.
“I’ve said it on record before, we haven’t got it right first time in every place. We’ve changed Fossgate in response to some of the experiences we got there.
“These are all temporary changes, they’re not permanent. We recognise there will be impacts on blue badge holders.
“Lots of people benefit from it but it will impact on others, but we’ve got to weigh that up against all the other benefits and the reasons why we’re doing it.”
He said the council is committed to working with blue badge holders, adding that there is no single solution because individuals have different needs.
Cllr Andy D’Agorne said: “We need to take on board the experiences of all users of the streets, but particularly those who are most vulnerable and have most difficulties with their mobility.”
A “free taxi service” is idiotic. What does that avoid that driving in with a blue badge car – or even more importantly, an adapted car – “inflicts” on the cc? Both are vehicles. Plus, forcing someone who may very well be shielding into two different cabs is cruel. This claim about “social distancing” is bogus. Cafe tables make it hard for ANYONE to distance or to manuever with the wheelchairs & scooters the council ignorantly think “all” disabled people use. To qualify for PIP, once cannot be able to walk (even w a cane) more than 50m, and yet the CC is the largest widest CC in W Europe – far wider than 50m – and is already not disabled friendly. Blake St-St Helens-Lendal have always been open to BB cars, and to bikes: how much social distance is required there? For disabled people, being forced to part far away, wait for a taxi, take the taxi (a vehicle), unload a chair let’s say, get round town, call a taxi, wait for a taxi, take the taxi back to the out of sight out of mind BB car, makes the whole project hours long and unworkable. So we don’t. York Business wants us? No, it does not. Any shop not clamoring for this bigoted anti-disabled Exclusionary Zone to be removed does not get my custom in future either. CYC wants to kill CC business and it’s on the way to doing it too.