A MOTORISED PEDESTRIAN IN SOUTHWARK

I write this in the afterglow of the success of the London Paralympics which focused on Paralympians who make the most of their physical abilities. Like Paralympians, motor scooter users are also people who do not easily give up – determined to get around the borough in spite of at times inhospitable conditions. They should be encouraged by the provision of suitable pavements. This is also something currently being advocated by Living Streets. Southwark Council have received an earlier article from me on pavements and motor scooters sent through Southwark Living Streets. That was received sympathetically. I would now like to submit suggestions for consideration by the council.

At the end of the document we make a number of suggestions that would help improve the lot of users of motorised scooter users and begin to get their needs recognised as part of the Southwark Road User Hierarchy.

No easy way for a scooter

Some pavements in Southwark are not only impassable for motorised pedestrians but also difficult for wheelchairs and prams. This contravenes the law. For many years there has been a great deal of legislation concerning disabilities. The latest statute is the Equalities Act 2010 which replaces in part the Disability Discrimination Act. This says “A Service Provider must ensure that there is no interference with ‘normal day to day activities including walking and shopping”.

There ARE however good routes in Southwark. Like all motor scooter users I have found routes which are suitable. There are many others best avoided. For example I love to go from my Lant Street base to Lambeth Palace passing the

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Imperial War Museum and then travelling right down the Thames as far as the Golden Hinde and home. All the pavements are passable.

Another route I like is to go via Long Lane, down Tower Bridge Road to the Thames and then up the river to London Bridge and past Southwark Cathedral and home. But Tower Bridge Road is unsuitable on its western pavements due to various high kerbs so I go down the east side. Around the Cathedral I have to pick my way very carefully as there are several places which are too difficult for the scooter to manage. Routes I do not like include Bermondsey High Street and Snowsfields. So Southwark is patchy.

My scooter and a kerb

I have had a scooter since 3rd November 2011. It can be dismantled and carried in the boot of a car. I live in Southwark so that is where my scooter is mainly used but I have since used it (or a similar scooter) in Toronto Ontario, London Ontario and a village in the Languedoc region of the South of France. It has transformed my life.

But much can be done by Southwark Council even in this time of double dip recession. What is required is the strategic provision of points where scooters, wheelchairs and the like can get on to a pavement or off of a pavement. Provided there is access and egress from a pavement there is no need for anything between these points other than a smooth surface. As has been said by Southwark Council more is required than just a shovelful of tarmac although I submit that that is better than nothing.

So what can scooter users do to help the Council? I submit we are the only people who can advise the Council. I do not know how this potential source of

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information might be tapped. Perhaps there is existence something like a motor scooter users group which could be contacted. If there is no such group perhaps a voluntary body could be formed. That would require contacts to be set up with scooter users. I do not know how this might be done. There might be problems with the Data Protection Act for example. Southwark Social Services might know the names of scooter users. Suppliers of scooters might also be willing to provide names. There are potential difficulties which might arise. But I suggest that in these hard times such information is what the Council needs if meagre amounts of money are to be spent wisely and effectively.

There are also ways by which scooter users could help themselves as a group. Street maps such as the recently produced cycle maps showing suitable and unsuitable scooter routes would be very useful. But such maps might well be difficult and expensive to produce. Scooter users will soon find out for themselves what routes to use. However if they met together they could and would exchange much useful information. Could the Council help with this?

Incidentally I found the pavements in Toronto and in London Ontario to be horrific for a scooter user. I saw very few scooters there perhaps because of the state of the footways as they term them. So Southwark Councillors do not despair. Southwark beats Toronto!

Improving Provision For Users Of Motorised Scooters In Southwark.

The following suggestions are intended to help to recognise the issue that users of motorised scooters face and set about helping them gain greater recognition. We recognise that we would very much look forward to and need the support of Southwark Council in a number of department areas to help take these ideas forward.

1. The creation of a Motorised Scooter User Group for Southwark. Creating a group would start to help users find common points of concern and interest. We would need the support and ingenuity of Southwark Council to help bring users together.

2. Consultation about the Needs of Motor Scooter users. This would seek to identify common needs and issues faced by motor scooter users and potentially have a focus on how pavements can work better for motor scooter users. Again Southwark Council might be able to help bring this together potentially in conjunction with the Southwark Pensioners Forum.

3. Quality of provision – pilot area. Establishing a pilot area in which the quality of access for users is audited with a view to making improvements in the medium term. Initial thoughts for a possible pilot area were in the area of Southwark Park Rd and St James Rd where usage was thought to be high and also in Nunhead. Again support from Southwark would be invaluable to identify needs and users.

Dr W T Jackson Flat 43 4 Sanctuary Street Borough London SE1 1EA

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