My wife is disabled, but has a very independent mind. Sometimes she likes to go places on her own, just to realise she is free to go wherever she wants to go.
But I always have to warn her that this is not a fact. She loves to travel, for instance by train and bus. That is already a challenge in itself, but I really had to tell her it is impossible to take the bus, line 8, from our home and travel to Newport directly.
This is the nearest bus stop, Seaview Lane. It's a few paving tiles big, a little space created in the middle of the shrubs. Two people can stand on it. The kerb is not lowered at all. No way a wheelchair can get up there.
The next busstop you can get to when you walk a bit further. It's called Nettlestone Manor. It's just a pole on top of a wall. The busy road is running next to it, no pavement at all. People actually get on the bus in the nearby bend in the road. There is an entrance to farmland over there. The pavement on the other side of the road is not lowered anywhere. The road is quite busy, being the main road between Ryde and Bembridge.
There is a next bus stop a bit further away, in front of the Isle of Wight Distillery. There is even a footpath, already out of reach for wheelchair users, but a barrier blocks it securely for them. We were once told this was to prevent horses, motorcycles and mopeds to get onto it. We explained to a councillor that this blocks wheelchair users to use a public path. It did not lead to any change.
So there is no option than to go to opposite direction, into Seaview. Above is the nearest bus stop, on Steyne Road, a walk/ride of 20 minutes. As you can see, there is no place where the kerb has been lowered to allow a wheelchair user to get on the pavement and get to the bus stop. I would say it's quite a jump with a wheelchair.
The distance from our house is no good of course. I can tell that I would be half way to Newport by car in the time it takes to get here.
A bit further from this bus stop, I can see the next one on Steyne Road. It would take no more than a few minutes to get there from this bus stop where I stood taking the picture. It has a lowered kerb, but I would say that the distance is obviously too far from our house.
Maybe you would think our situation is exceptional. It's not, I can assure you. It's obvious that the main thought while positioning bus stops is not that they should be available for everybody.
That is remarkable, I always thought that public transport should be for all.
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Te triest voor woorden.......
BeantwoordenVerwijderenToday, 26 October 2018 I received a second letter from Bob Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight. He has sent my complaints/remarks to Isle Access and Island Roads. Island Roads seem to be reviewing the situation. Visit Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight Council made a commitment to make the island an accessible tourist destination. As part of that commitment the infrastructure of the Island will be reviewed.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWe'll have to see if these are real commitments or another empty promise.
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BeantwoordenVerwijderenWe are now one year later and nothing has been changed. Bob Seely has never showed any interest after he had sent the complaints on. It looks like that he never has an opinion of his own. In parliament I only see him repeating one liners from other MPs, never suggesting anything constructive. Maybe he can be replaced in the next elections.
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