Disability Discrimination

[Just John]

I wonder how many of you have thought about the disabled bays that are painted on the roads. They were provided by Lewisham Council to assist disabled people to live normal lives (in accordance with Equality Legislation).

For the last five years Lewisham Council have failed to maintain these resulting in many of them fading from visibility. This leaves disabled people subject to abuse. The non-mandatory bays are a lifeline to many. Mandatory bays are quite useless since most of us have experience of our cars being broken into to remove the blue badge and local Police advise against leaving the badge in the car.

There used to be a department with responsibility for the function. It was abolished when the parking review was conducted and no other unit has been given responsibility for this function. On enquiring with the faceless bureaucrats I am advised they "have no budget for this work".

Ask your local councillor for their views. Do they subscribe to this gross and wilful breach of Equalities legislation?

[stuart]

I have the greatest sympathy for those impacted by this problem, Almost all the visible road & pavement markings visible are on bits that have been repaired lately. No money is obviously being spent anywhere on markings.

I almost have sympathy for the council. Slashed budgets with the overwhelming and growing part of their budget going on social care - they are between a rock and a hard place. Budget can only come from one place - Westminster, not Lewisham. Priorities of the two don't align so not much immediate hope there.

I wonder if there is a possibility of finding local funding for specific bays? Would this be legal? Would Lewisham facilitate? It's something a Rotary Club might snap at but we lost ours 25 years ago. Maybe Sydenham Society. Or Sydenham Arts could organise something to raise dosh?

Any more ideas?

Stuart

[The Clown]

I used fixed my street for this and the job got done - this was pre-pandemic though

[Just John]

The funding issue is not an issue. It is a deception. The authority is specifically funded for this function.