Department for Transport appraisal a “missed opportunity” says Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs considers that the Department for Transport’s (DfT) appraisal into shared street spaces is a “missed opportunity”.

The appraisal is the first output of the research commissioned by the DfT in response to Guide Dogs’ concerns about shared surfaces and was designed to provide an evidence base on which to base future government guidance.

Tom Pey, Guide Dogs’ director of external affairs, said: “This appraisal acknowledges that there are evidence gaps, yet fails to address them and some of the conclusions drawn are not backed up by the evidence that is reported.

“It represents a missed opportunity for the government to understand the wider impact shared spaces have on blind and partially sighted and other disabled people.”

The appraisal report supports Guide Dogs’ position that for shared space streets to work for everyone there needs to be a ‘safe space’ where vulnerable pedestrians will not encounter a vehicle. But disappointingly takes us no further forward in establishing how this can be achieved.

In looking at the impact of shared spaces the researchers interviewed only 55 people, of whom just eight had a disability and only one had a visual impairment.

And the sample of shared spaces looked at was just as narrow – with only five considered and four of those are in London and the South East.

By ignoring the fact many disabled people avoid using shared surface streets it also calls into question the validity of the next stage of the project – analysing video footage of people using shared spaces. How can the behaviour of disabled people be observed if they are no longer using the street?

Tom Pey said: “Based on this report, the advice to those looking to develop shared space schemes must be to clearly delineate footways for vulnerable pedestrians. Currently there is no proven effective delineator other than a kerb with regular dropped kerb crossing points and Guide Dogs most recently commissioned research shows that such kerbs need to be at least 60mm to be effective.”