Publications
DPTAC statement on shared surfaces

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) has four overarching principles on which we base our advice to government, other organisations and disabled people. Those principles are that:

  • Public investment should only take place if those who provide and spend the money take into account the accessibility of disabled people.
  • Those who provide transport services will make accessibility for disabled people part of the main stream of their activity.
  • Those who provide transport services will fully and meaningfully involve disabled users and non-users in deciding the accessibility of transport services.
  • Those who provide transport services are responsible for accessibility for disabled people.

In this connection, we would draw attention to the Disability Equality Duty introduced under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which requires government and local authorities to use their influence over the built and pedestrian environment to promote equality for disabled people. Disability equality must be addressed within local authority policies and decision making and the involvement of disabled people in the decision making process is a key requirement of the duty.

With the above in mind, we are concerned that many local authorities are pursuing the development of shared surface streets where the kerbed demarcation between pedestrians and vehicles has been removed.

In depth research by Guide Dogs has demonstrated that such shared surfaces can seriously undermine the safety, confidence and independence of blind and partially sighted people. Research on home zone design commissioned by DPTAC highlighted similar concerns about shared surfaces. We note too that other disability organisations share the concerns of Guide Dogs and that in 2007 a Joint Statement on the implications of shared surfaces was endorsed by over twenty disability organisations from across the UK representing people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

Our impression therefore is that the views of disabled people are not being given sufficient weight and that by implementing some types of shared surfaces, local authorities are restricting the safe independent mobility of many disabled people. This could mean that the local authorities involved are not fulfilling their Disability Equality Duty.

We would emphasise that we fully support the principle of giving increased priority to pedestrians over motor vehicles in and around our towns and cities. However, it is vital that the interests of all pedestrians are accommodated where changes are made. DPTAC therefore expects local authorities to engage with disabled people and their representative organisations in the development of streetscape schemes in line with their obligations under the Disability Equality Duty.

In practice, we believe this means that provision for pedestrians is supplemented where necessary by accessible pedestrian routes separate from areas also used by vehicles in order to promote personal security for young, elderly and disabled pedestrians. It also means that unless and until there is an alternative delineator which through research is demonstrated to be effective, kerbed footways and formalised pedestrian crossing points with appropriate dropped kerbs and tactile paving, should normally be retained.

However, we believe there are other advantages in retaining the use of kerbs:

  • Kerbs assist bus operations and are essential to complement the use of low floor buses by facilitating level access at stops.
  • Kerbs promote road safety - the rules in the Highway Code for crossing the road begin "Stop just before you get to the kerb, where you can see if anything is coming. Do not get too close to the traffic." This is fundamental to the Green Cross Code taught to children.
  • Government advice on traffic management emphasises that the traditional distinction between the carriageway and the footway may be important both visually and historically, and cautions against the adoption of a single wall-to-wall surfacing. (DfT Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/96).
  • Kerbs assist with positive drainage systems and these are better able to cope with exceptional rainfall and protect pedestrians than flush surface drainage systems.
  • Kerbs promote security and deter vehicles from mounting footways.

We understand that the Department for Transport is commissioning research on the matter. In the meantime, DPTAC calls on local authorities to be aware of their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act. We would ask them not to create town centres, High Streets and residential areas with shared surfaces that discriminate against blind and partially sighted and other disabled people, effectively excluding them from the street environment. Until there is an acceptable alternative delineator, we would urge the retention of kerbed footways with dropped kerbs at appropriate crossing points as an essential element of streetscape in shared surface areas.

DPTAC
September 2008