Walking
In trying to navigate the city with a buggy, it is clear to me that it is not designed or implement as a reduced mobility friendly city. Footpaths are often broken, small and have dangerous or non existent ramps. This is essential for our citizens with poor mobility not but as the city’s citizens become older and technology improves we will have more and more mobility scooter users who require decent infrastructure so it will become all the more critical.
Enforcement
Parking & Cycle Lanes
There is a poor enforcement policy of existing bye laws in the city, in particular as they relate to parking. This results in a general attitude that cars and vans can park where they like without fear of repercussion. This puts lives at risks of citizens of the city who need to navigate around the illegal parked cars, be they able or reduced mobility pedestrians, cyclists, parents with children in buggies etc. Further, it can result in additional expense to the council in repairing damaged paths as seen in the recent Court House repair required.
Please can greater enforcement be actioned to ensure that our public realms can be enjoyed by all.
Patrick Street Pedestrianisation
There seems to be little to no enforcement of the Patrick Street Pedestrianisation during its applicable hours. To my mind this sets a tone for the city that the car has right of way over pedestrians, even if lip service is paid to such pedestrianisation initiatives. Further one can see that as pedestrianisation has been expanded on a temporary basis to other areas of the city centre (Paul Street, Emmett Place etc), there is a sense of entitlement of drivers such that barriers in place and moved and drivers continue regardless. There is no consequence to such action and so it will continue. Please can I ask that greater consideration to enforcement in this regard be considered.