Report from the meeting of 25 May 2006
South Ayrshire Access Panel meets on the last Thursday in each month and tackles issues relating to making the environment, facilities and services in South Ayrshire available to all its residents.
This month, the Planning Consent considerations of the Access Panel included a Hotel redevelopment in Prestwick Road, Ayr and alterations to a licensed premises in Main Street, Prestwick.
The Access Panel heard how bookings for the Shopmobility mobile unit have increased since its move to Irvine, but that because only six pieces of equipment can be held on board at a time, Shopmobility users are limited to 2 hours at a time.
The Access Panel are to contact local newspapers encouraging residents to contact South Ayrshire Council directly with any concerns over obstructions to pavements and footpaths. Details are to be found elsewhere on this website. The Pavements are for Peoplecampaign display is currently on a round of the libraries.
Members of this Access Panel will attend the launch of their new Access Guide to the accessibility of commercial premises in Ayr Town Centre, to be held in the County Buildings on May 31st. This Guide has been compiled over the past 12 months by personally visiting all commercial and public premises within the area of the Town Centre and noting what facilities exist for disabled clientele.
The introduction of an audible ATM facility at the Clydesdale Bank (Ayr branch) was congratulated and similar has been suggested by the Panel for its Prestwick branch, together with a lowering of the facility to enable comfortable use by wheelchair users. It is ongoing policy of the Access Panel to campaign for a level entry into this Prestwick branch of the Clydesdale Bank.
Members of the Access Panel were present at a meeting with the Road Safety Officer from South Ayrshire Council at Ayr College where improving the safety of pedestrians was discussed. With insufficient room for a Zebra crossing the solution proposed is to highlight the crossing area with red tarmac and warning signs or railings.
Taxi driver guidelines
The Panel heard a report on an item raised at the Taxi Driver Forum in March concerning the carrying of wheelchairs and their users. The following is extracted directly from the minutes to avoid any misrepresentation:-
The Principal Solicitor, South Ayrshire Council, had prepared guidelines in consultation with disability groups, for the carrying of wheelchair users, following complaints from disabled passengers that drivers had refused to carry them.
The item further clarifies the guidelines as follows:-
All taxis require to be wheelchair accessible and all models of vehicles approved for use as taxis by the Council require to have side loading ramps, seatbelts and securing clamps designed by the manufacturers to suit standard manual wheelchairs.
A driver cannot refuse a passenger on the grounds that they are disabled. However, drivers can refuse a passenger whose chair they cannot accommodate either on the vehicle ramps or in the vehicle itself or if the passenger refused to be secured in the vehicle by the means that the vehicle was designed for or if the vehicle insurance did not cover the type of chair in question.
The Disabled Persons Transport Group state that drivers should insist that the passenger travels in the correct position as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer or conversion team. Failure to do so, apart from the obvious risk to safety of the occupants of the vehicle, may invalidate their insurance cover for that journey.
Reports from previous meetings - November 2005 onwards - can be found in the News archive.