Disabled access is not good enough

OBAN town centre’s disabled access continues to fall short of public expectations – despite a multi-million-pound makeover by Argyll and Bute Council.

The Oban and District Disability Forum and Access Panel (the forum) has been highlighting ongoing concerns about the lack of access on the main road through Oban. It has now decided to report its concerns to HiTrans – the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership.

A recent meeting of the group heard that there was concern about the lack of a dropped kerb at the railway station.

Councillor Elaine Robertson has agreed to highlight the problem with Andy Collins, the project manager for the town centre improvements.

The forum agreed to write to Frank Roach at HiTrans to highlight the situation as it is adjacent to the HiTrans interests in the train station.

The group has already raised the matter with Jim Smith, the roads manager at Argyll and Bute Council.

Chairman Jim Tolmie explained that Mr Smith had advised that a limited number of dropped kerbs would be constructed in and around Oban town centre in the fourth quarter of the current financial year. The locations are still to be advised.

A council spokeswoman said: ‘Following consultation with the Oban Disability Forum in September 2015, amendments to dropped kerbs, disabled parking bays and bus stops were implemented as part of the phase two public realm works.

‘A road safety audit of this area will be carried out independently later this year. We are currently in the process of drawing up a plan to install more dropped kerbs at key sites.’

The next meeting of the group is on Tuesday March 14. For details, contact obandisabilityforum@ aol.co.uk.