Plea to consider blind people in Glasgow cycling project

A fresh plea has been issued to Glasgow’s convenor for climate to consider blind and partially sighted people as the council implements its city wide cycling network.

The cycling ‘City Network’ has been developed to link key areas of Glasgow together by encouraging a reduction in the use of cars while promoting walking, wheeling and cycling as a first choice of transport. The scheme will also help to develop a sustainable transport system for Glasgow as well as reducing the number of car kilometres travelled by 2030 by 30 percent as part of the council’s net zero carbon emissions target.

It is hoped this will have a positive impact overall on health, wellbeing and the economy. A report was presented to members of the city administration committee yesterday where councillor Saqib Ahmed asked councillor Angus Millar to remember those with sight loss so they too can travel around the city. Councillor Ahmed said: “I have a request for the convenor that if he could also consider the people who are partially sighted and blind and also those who have some sort of disability. We need to have them in our minds as well to make sure that we don’t hinder their journey into the city centre and other parts of the city.”

So far there are five key “delivery phases” which are part of the cycling city network and add to the routes which are already under construction. The first programme of work, also known as phase 0, will see continuing routes along East City Way, Battlefield, Woodside, Byres Road and Sighthill. Councillor Angus Millar confirmed that as progress on the network is made, all the competing needs and interests of street and road users would be fully considered.

Councillor Millar said: “That is work that will be supported by the street space allocation framework and indeed by the inclusive design forum that we have discussed previously at committee which seeks to manage some of these issues in a way that is equitable for all different types of road users as possible while continuing to deliver the safe and high quality infrastructure that we require.”