Mobility scooter user forced onto road to avoid 'badly' parked car
On Thursday, April 17, Mark Masters, a Carlisle-based mobility scooter user, was returning home from a visit to see a friend when he was confronted with a parked car that was obstructing the pavement on Etterby Street.
As the car was blocking the pavement, Mark was unable to pass it and was forced to drive his scooter onto the road to get around it.
For Mark, this is not an isolated incident, and he is now calling on Cumberland Council to take action to ensure that Carlisle is accessible for all and that obstacles for mobility scooter users, such as 'badly' parked cars, are removed.
He said: "There are a few places where you're forced to go on the road because lack of dropped curbs, and without them, you can't get onto the pavement like around Portland Place and Cecil Street to get to the seating area.
"As for badly parked cars, you have no option but to go on the road to get around them.
"You even get cars parked up at a dropped curb, so that stops you from getting on the pavement.
"As for my experience last week, forcing me to go on the road to get around the car, I was just lucky.
"They [Cumberland Council] have been warned about it with cars parking on pavements, and they have got to make it safer for mobility scooters,
"We need more dropped curbs and also double yellow lines that stop drivers from parking and blocking the pavement, which makes it dangerous."
In response to Mark's experience, Cumberland Council apologised to the local mobility scooter user and explained more about the steps it is taking to ensure that people are not faced with similar situations.
A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: "We are sorry to hear about the difficulties experienced by the mobility scooter user, and we fully understand how frustrating and potentially dangerous situations like this can be.
"Our parking enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across Carlisle and other areas of Cumberland, and issue penalties for vehicles found to be parked in contravention of parking restrictions or blocking dropped crossings.
"In cases where a vehicle is blocking a pavement and creating an immediate danger, we recommend contacting the Police, as they have powers to respond to obstruction of the highway. Cumberland Council, along with other councils in England outside of London, do not have these powers.
"We are committed to making Carlisle as accessible as possible for all residents, including mobility scooter users, and continue to work across teams to identify and address access barriers in public spaces.
"Residents can report issues related to parking or access via the Cumberland Council website using our online reporting system, which helps ensure matters are logged and investigated promptly."
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