VIDEO: Wheelchair user highlights junction fears in Gerrards Cross

5:39pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News By Lawrence Dunhill

VIDEO: Wheelchair user highlights junction fears VIDEO: Wheelchair user highlights junction fears

A WHEELCHAIR user says there are a series of problems with the pedestrian crossings at the main junction in Gerrards Cross.

Mik Scarlet, a campaigner for the disabled and broadcast journalist, has filmed himself navigating the traffic light junction outside Tesco in Packhorse Road, and posted the video on YouTube (see video below).

Last year the parish council conducted a survey involving 2,000 villagers – saying it revealed "overwhelming dissatisfaction" with the junction (see related links).

Mik, who was invited to give his views on the junction by the council, says there are a number of issues, especially with the crossings on Station Approach and Ethorpe Crescent.

Among his complaints are the small pedestrian islands, which “do not provide enough safe area for more than one wheelchair user”, while steep inclines at the refuges lead to further difficulties and potential danger, he said.

He added: “When I first drove into Gerrards Cross...I was unsure what the residents’ complaints were.

“From a vehicular standpoint it seems to work quite well. However, now I’ve wheeled around I can see that it is very difficult to do, very time consuming... and there are several places where you seem to be made to work much harder than you need to just to cross the street.

“I think there are solutions, they aren't actually that costly and I think they might make the actual centre of Gerrards Cross a much more pleasant place to be.”


 

Bucks County Council has previously acknowledged the concerns about the junction, including the phasing of the traffic lights, and recently commissioned an independent review of the scheme which was built in 2010.

Related links

A number of options are being looked at with a public exhibition planned to take place next month.

 

Comments (3)

1:06am Sat 26 Jan 13

buftonp13 says...

How can the planners get this so wrong. They go to university to study this type of thing for years then end up wasting tax payers money ruining simple projects like this. And how did the council say ok this will be what we want and how we want it to look like? So now even more local money will be wasted on sorting it out. No wonder the country is in such a mess. Just like the new Eden shopping centre with no doors or a proper roof, or the lack of guttering to stop run of water dripping straight on to shoppers. What a joke
How can the planners get this so wrong. They go to university to study this type of thing for years then end up wasting tax payers money ruining simple projects like this. And how did the council say ok this will be what we want and how we want it to look like? So now even more local money will be wasted on sorting it out. No wonder the country is in such a mess. Just like the new Eden shopping centre with no doors or a proper roof, or the lack of guttering to stop run of water dripping straight on to shoppers. What a joke buftonp13

10:10am Sat 26 Jan 13

AlpinaB5 says...

I agree entirely. I've many reservations about those lights but it was useful to see it from the point of view of a wheelchair user and so the video is worth a look. The most staggering part was the idiot who felt it was ok to park opposite the dropped kerb outside HSBC bank therby blocking the path of wheel chairs. If anybody recognises him could you report him to the police please as he should be prosecuted!
I agree entirely. I've many reservations about those lights but it was useful to see it from the point of view of a wheelchair user and so the video is worth a look. The most staggering part was the idiot who felt it was ok to park opposite the dropped kerb outside HSBC bank therby blocking the path of wheel chairs. If anybody recognises him could you report him to the police please as he should be prosecuted! AlpinaB5

8:54pm Sat 26 Jan 13

gotanybiscuits? says...

buftonp13 wrote:
How can the planners get this so wrong. They go to university to study this type of thing for years then end up wasting tax payers money ruining simple projects like this. And how did the council say ok this will be what we want and how we want it to look like? So now even more local money will be wasted on sorting it out. No wonder the country is in such a mess. Just like the new Eden shopping centre with no doors or a proper roof, or the lack of guttering to stop run of water dripping straight on to shoppers. What a joke
I'd guess it's because most "designers" nowadays are Artists, rather than Engineers, who are then over-ruled anyway by managers.....who we know are just talkers.
.
Just my 2p
[quote][p][bold]buftonp13[/bold] wrote: How can the planners get this so wrong. They go to university to study this type of thing for years then end up wasting tax payers money ruining simple projects like this. And how did the council say ok this will be what we want and how we want it to look like? So now even more local money will be wasted on sorting it out. No wonder the country is in such a mess. Just like the new Eden shopping centre with no doors or a proper roof, or the lack of guttering to stop run of water dripping straight on to shoppers. What a joke[/p][/quote]I'd guess it's because most "designers" nowadays are Artists, rather than Engineers, who are then over-ruled anyway by managers.....who we know are just talkers. . Just my 2p gotanybiscuits?

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