A former council employee’s shocking suggestion during a cycleway meeting raises concerns about accessibility for disabled drivers in Coventry
The comment came up while discussing a cycle lane on Clifford Bridge Road. Councillor Faye Abbott pointed out that the equalities report didn’t mention how reduced parking bays would affect disabled residents. She highlighted that people might have to open their car doors into the cycleway or the road, which is pretty dangerous.
Then, Cllr Abbott shared a shocking suggestion from the former employee. They told elderly residents with disabilities to climb over the central console of their cars to exit safely. Can you believe that? It’s just not practical at all.
The Director of City Services, Andrew Walster, acknowledged the comment was unfortunate and confirmed that the employee is no longer with the council. Cllr Patricia Hetherton called the suggestion awful and stressed the importance of responding to residents’ concerns.
Mark O’Connell, the Head of Public Realm, mentioned that they’re working to ensure residents can safely access their cars across the cycleway. However, some folks are worried about the size of the parking bays, which are set to shrink to just two meters.
Cllr Christine Thomas, who has a disability, expressed her fears about parking in those bays. She said she wouldn’t feel safe getting out of her car. She also questioned why a group representing disabled people wasn’t consulted on the plans.
In response, Walster promised to bring a detailed report to the group and visit to understand their concerns. Despite her worries, Cllr Thomas ended up voting to approve the cycleway, saying she didn’t believe any information was wrong at the previous meeting. In the end, most councillors supported the decision to move forward with the cycle lane.
