Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to offer financial support to people who want to drop their kerbs in order to help the blind and partially-sighted.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is committed to comprehensive civil rights for disabled people. An integrated transport policy, which encompasses accessible public transport, public transport infrastructure and a barrier-free pedestrian environment is fundamentally important to delivering that commitment.

With regard to the provision of dropped kerbs (or crossovers at driveways), this is a matter for each local authority as they are responsible for deciding on the appropriate policies that balance the needs of local residents, emergency services, local businesses, and those who work in and visit the area. However, the DfT has produced information for service providers called ‘Inclusive Mobility’ and this includes detailed advice on the design and provision of dropped kerbs for various situations. This document may be viewed at –

www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mobility

There have been no recent discussions with either the Highways Agency (now Highways England) or local authorities on the provision of dropped kerbs to aid blind or partially-sighted people.

The DfT also remains committed to review and update ‘Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces’. We have met stakeholders to identify a number of priority amendments to the existing guidance and we are considering further consultation on the proposed layouts in the summer.

Provisions in the Equality Act 2010 require service providers, such as local authorities, to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to enjoy a service on the same basis as non-disabled people.

Safety of all road users is of paramount importance, and the Department supports pedestrian safety through a range of measures, providing local authorities with a wide range of tools to help them provide safer roads.

For example, following changes made in the last few years, local authorities now have more flexibility than ever before in designing 20mph zones and limits. We have also authorised pedestrian countdown, as an additional option for authorities in choosing appropriate crossing types for different roads.

The Department recognises that inconsiderate parking, especially on the pavement, can cause problems for blind and partially sighted pedestrians. In London there is a general ban on parking on the footway. In the rest of England there is no such prohibition but traffic authorities have wide-ranging powers to prevent people parking on the pavement and we wrote to all English traffic authorities on 27 June 2014 to remind them of this.