News
Walsall disabled parking move blunder
Plans to move parking bays reserved for people with disabilities in Walsall town centre will have to be presented again to Walsall Council because of an “administrative” error. To prevent future blunders, a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Walsall Council is being considered.
On Tuesday, cabinet will have to look again at the proposal to move the blue badge parking bays on Lower Bridge Street near Tescos to the other side of the road in a direct swap with a taxi rank. The Walsall Taxi Owners Association asked for the move because their old style London Hackney Cabs can only be accessed by wheelchair users from the left of the vehicle, leaving passengers with disabilities in the path of oncoming traffic.
The Licensing and Safety Committee have twice approved the Traffic Regulation Order against the advice of traffic safety officers and objections from disability awareness groups in Walsall. Campaigners against the proposal say that the concerns over the safety of people with disabilities raised by the taxi drivers will be made worse because motorist with blue badges will have to leave their cars into the path of oncoming traffic.
The Walsall Disability forum commissioned an independent survey that showed that very few people with disabilities use the taxi rank. A report submitted to cabinet says that there are 67 old-style London taxis operating in the borough and 57 taxis with acceptable access for wheelchairs. The report also states that there are 45,000 blue badges issued to Walsall residents with disabilities.
In December 2005, following pressure from the Walsall Taxi Owners Association, the council Taxi/Private Hire Liaison Group allowed the old-style London cabs to remain licensed for 18 years and rather than the statutory 15 years. The current report before cabinet also states that traffic congestion has been caused by Hackney cabs parking outside Tescos on double yellow lines hoping to pick up customers. The supermarket has a free phone service to private hire taxi operators who are usually cheaper than the London style taxis.
The Walsall Disability Forum has suggested a compromise that would see both sides of the road used for taxi ranks and disabled parking bays, however the Walsall Taxi Owners Association has rejected this idea. Tesco are due to open a new superstore on the site of the former Walsall College.
A second report to cabinet on the Traffic Regulation Order for Lower Bridge Street highlights an “error” in the constitution of Walsall Council. The constitution says that when objections are raised on such matters, then they should be referred to the Development Control Committee. In fact, the issue should be taken up by cabinet and a change to the constitution is recommended. Further embarrassment has been caused by objectors who claim that members of the Licensing and Safety Committee had vested interests in the scheme which they did not declare.
The strongly worded report written by Bhupinder Gill, Assistant Director of Legal and Constitutional Services, reminds councillors of their statutory duty to declare any interests and withdraw from discussions and voting on any issue from which they may benefit.
The amendment to the constitution recommends that objections should not be judged by the Development Control Committee or by cabinet, but by the “relevant executive director in consultation with the portfolio holder.”