“The greatest risk to all road users is caused by people driving”: Deaf and blind campaigners say lifting high street cycling ban “unsafe”, but cyclists argue tackling illegal parking “scourge” and creating bike lanes key to “city that works for everyone”

Cycling activists have claimed that tackling Worcester’s illegal parking “scourge” and creating a safe, protected bike network, which would help delineate spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, will prove key to making the city “work for everyone”, after deaf and blind campaigners spoke out against plans to lift a high street cycling ban, which they say would make the now-pedestrianised area “disorientating, inaccessible, and dangerous”.

Last week, we reported that a proposal was made at Worcester City Council to review the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which currently prevents cyclists and motorists from accessing High Street in the city between 10am and 6pm, and has been described by campaign group Bike Worcester as a “huge psychological barrier” to people making short journeys into the city centre by bike.

The plans have been condemned by Worcester’s sole remaining Conservative city councillor Alan Amos, who previously claimed the local authority’s decision to not extend a controversial Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on city centre cycling would signal a “free-for-all” for “dangerous and selfish” cyclists.

And last week, Amos said he was “horrified” by the council’s TRO review, claiming that it would transform a “safe and welcoming area where pedestrians can shop and walk” into a “dangerous and unwelcoming place”, solely to appease a “handful of lazy, selfish cyclists” who “routinely flout the law”.

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Amos’ apparent concern for “the elderly and those with hearing, visual, and physical disabilities” (as long as they don’t use cycles as mobility aids, that is) was echoed today by blind and deaf campaigners in Worcester.

Joanne Webber, the head of operations for charity Sight Concern Worcestershire, told the Worcester News that people living with sensory impairments face a number of hazards in the city, such as shared cycle paths and pavement parking.

“We need safer places where we do not have to be on constant alert to risks we cannot see or hear.  I avoid parts of the city centre, including Cathedral Square, because they are so disorientating, inaccessible, and dangerous,” Webber said.

The charity’s chief executive officer Anne Eyre added: “It is important that people are aware of the barriers faced by people living with sensory impairment.

“Our goal is for Worcester city centre to be a safe and respectful place for all of those who want to experience everything it has to offer.”

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Worcester resident Elizabeth Baio, who is blind and uses a cane to help her navigate, also told the Worcester News that she is often scared by people on bikes “passing her at speed” on High Street.

Despite saying she supports efforts to reduce car use, she believes there should be safe spaces for pedestrians, saying of cyclists: “I don’t have alternatives, they do.”

Another vision-impaired person, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “It can take years to adapt to a world without sight and it is very mentally draining, especially when you are having to listen out for hazards.”

Describing an incident when a group of people on bikes rode close to her in the pedestrianised zone, she continued: “I was not fully aware of what was going on around me until my friend explained it all. I could hear the noise of the bikes but had no idea what they were doing or where they were. I have also had cyclists make noises and laughing at me while behind or passing me.”

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“I am not expecting there to be cyclists in a pedestrianised area and I cannot see or hear them when they approach from behind, even if they ring a bell or call out,” one member of the deaf community told the newspaper about another experience on High Street.

“They are angry that I do not move out of the way, but they should not even be there.”

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In response to these concerns, Bike Worcester’s Dan Brothwell says that creating a safe, protected cycle network in the city, which in turn will produce distinct, segregated spaces for pedestrians, while also tackling dangerous driving, is key to making Worcester “work for everyone”.

“Cycling advocacy groups should be working collaboratively with the visually impaired community to make travelling around the city by any means as safe as possible,” Brothwell said.

“It remains a fact that the greatest risk to all road users is caused by people driving, notably anti-social, dangerous and illegal driving, which can be witnessed every day in Worcester. Added to this the scourge of illegal parking and pavement parking in the city, which no doubt has a big impact on visually impaired road users in addition to other pedestrians, there seems plenty to work together on to reduce road danger.

“Whilst it’s essential there are safe routes for pedestrians including those with hearing or sight loss, and others who have mobility issues, it is also essential there are safe routes for people choosing to cycle.”

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He continued: “I’m in complete agreement that Worcester city centre should be a safe and respectful place for all – we’re on the same page.

“At present there are no segregated safe routes across the city centre for those choosing to cycle. Expecting people to share space with multiple lanes of traffic is far from best practice, this includes families, or children cycling independently.

“The proposed review [of the TRO] is sensible. If designated routes are provided for people riding bikes this has the potential to improve the environment for pedestrians, as there are expectations about where people and bikes will be.

“We need a city that works for everyone. It should also be noted that the current TROs prohibit mobility scooters, which is crazy, if not discriminatory.”