A partially sighted Harrogate man has said it’s ‘shameful’ that many pedestrian crossings in Harrogate town centre do not make a beeping noise to let blind or visually impaired people know it is safe to cross.
John Raho, 80, relies on the noise to help him cross the road safely when vehicles stop and the green man appears.
But from the top of Cheltenham Parade up Station Parade and to the Victoria Avenue junction, 9 out of 10 crossings did not make any noise at all when the Stray Ferret tested them yesterday.
Similarly, the crossing by the Odeon cinema does not make a beeping noise.
Mr Raho said:
“I rely on the beep as a reassurance but I noticed that so many of them are not working.
“They are an essential bit of kit. It’s not big science.”
This crossing on Station Parade does not currently make a beeping noise.
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North Yorkshire County Council, which is in charge of highways in the district, is not legally obliged to add beeping noises to pedestrian crossings.
To avoid confusion, it might not have two machines beeping that are close together.
Some crossings may also have a small plastic or metal cone that can be touched. It turns when the green man lights up to indicate it is safe to cross.
This pelican crossing is the only one that beeps on Station Parade.
‘A reassurance’
However, Mr Raho said the beeping noise should be essential to improve town centre access for visually impaired people.
He said:
“It’s a reassurance for me, for others with worse eyesight it’s absolutely essential. You have to be careful.”
Mr Raho said he can just about make out a blurry green man on the other side of the road, but without a sound to guide him, he tries to take his cue from other people.
“It’s alright if other people are crossing, but people do rush across the road.
“If someone gets knocked down, then it is bad news.”
A North Yorkshire County Council spokesperson asked Mr Raho to report any machines that are not working correctly via its website. They added that until he did so it was unable to comment.
