Activists for the visually impaired urge transport chiefs to fix 'unsafe' pedestrian crossings in Dumbarton

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Visually-impaired residents are demanding action over “unsafe” pedestrian crossings in Dumbarton – including one on the busy A82.Douglas Gilroy and Sandra MacDonald say a number of crossings are “dangerous” for those with visual impairments, and are calling for them to be made safe.Sandra, of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, claims a crossing on the A82, which was installed two years ago after a local campaign, is dangerous for people with visual impairments.She told how she recently had a meeting with Amey’s road safety manager and a representative from West Dunbartonshire Council over the issue.Sandra explained: “There is no tactile in the centre and nothing to alert you to where you are.“I told Amey the beeps stopped halfway across when crossing.“Amey said it had a Neatebox that linked to an app, and the clients could use that, but I argued that not everyone had a smartphone, and a lot of our service users were older.“We had a client crossing who was in her 20s and fit, but still had to dash to get across.“We also tried it with her dog, and the dog stopped in the middle and wouldn’t move, so it is very feasible that a visually impaired person could get stuck.”Amey has responded stating that all new crossings are installed in line with the latest guidance and design standards.However, Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie says she is concerned by the complaints, given the crossing was installed to improve safety.A community campaign was launched for a crossing on the site in 2019 after a 15-year-old girl was clipped by a car.Ms Baillie said: “This crossing was put in to improve safety at a very busy section of the A82, after an accident, and even the council decided to withdraw their crossing warden due to the road