Parking changes Wheelchair user’s challenge rejected by councillor
WHEELCHAIR user Oliver Smith has thrown down the gauntlet to a senior member of Cheltenham Borough Council to get round on two wheels using public transport.
Councillor Andrew Mckinlay (LD, Up Hatherley) last week urged people parking in the authority’s Regent Arcade car park to consider using public transport. It came as the council announced changes to the facility in Cheltenham town centre.
A range of payment options, thanks to new technology, will be introduced from September 3 and may be welcomed by those fed up with infuriating machines in the car park at the moment.
But another change will be that blue badge holders will have to pay to use the car park, even though they will not have to in the council’s other car parks in Cheltenham.
This change, coming soon after disabled parking spaces were moved further from Boots Corner because of the road layout change there, has angered wheelchair user Oliver Smith.
The 19-year-old, of St Michael’s Road, Warden Hill, says bringing in the charge at the Arcade car park will make him avoid the town centre.
In an email to Mr Mckinlay, he said: “Your proposals will have a major impact on my independence. I am an epileptic and rely upon my parents to drive me.
“Parking in the Regent Arcade was simple and the town centre easily accessible. Why was I not consulted? I am a registered disabled badge holder at the Regent Arcade.
“In view of this I will shop out of Cheltenham, at local outlets or in Gloucester.”
He said he had been on buses in a wheelchair and it could be very uncomfortable.
“You are forced to sit backwards with the back of your wheelchair against a rest which is very disconcerting and often makes me feel unwell,” he said.
“Often the spaces are in use by people with pushchairs, which as you know are required by law to move places when a wheelchair user comes on board.
“Very often this is a difficult procedure as when you ask them politely to move, they refuse and the bus drivers are often reluctant to get involved.”
Mr Smith offered to lend Mr Mckinlay his spare wheelchair so he could see the situation for himself.
Mr Mckinlay, the council’s cabinet member for development and safety, declined Mr Smith’s offer.
He said: “We appreciate Mr Smith’s concerns and the council is aware of the problems that wheelchair users face.
“To help address this, we are introducing more pedestrianised areas to improve access to the town centre and we’ve changed the taxi policy to ensure that by 2021 all taxis are wheelchair accessible.
“To ensure that people with disabilities have access close to the shops and services they need, new blue badge spaces have been created in consultation with Cheltenham’s accessibility working group.
“Council officers and members regularly meet with the accessibility working group and will continue to do so.” robin.jenkins@reachplc.com