An Edinburgh woman who struggles with her mobility has called for Edinburgh Council to put in additional blue badge parking spaces on Leith Walk.
Cathy Mungall-Baldvinsdottir, who stays at the Shore, feels disabled people have been 'ignored' in the changes made for the trams. Edinburgh Council, however, claim there is 'sufficient' parking for blue badge holders, adding: "Accessibility groups were consulted during the design process."
Cathy said she used to use many of the amenities on Leith Walk, and that before the tramworks began she felt there were numerous options for parking. Now, she's had to find other spots to head to.
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She said: "I used to go to Leith Walk all the time, to pubs and cafes and nipping into shops and my hairdresser was there. That's all had to change.
"There used to be blue badge spaces all up and down Leith Walk, there were a whole lot of them outside Sainsburys. There used to be no stress for me because I knew I'd be able to park and do my errands.
"It feels like we haven't really been considered in the plans. I feel like they've ignored the needs of disabled people."
Cathy said it's not just those with mobility issues who require blue badge spaces. She told us: "I think there's a lot of different disabilities, unseen disabilities, that people wouldn't think of. Mental illness, neurodiverse conditions, and other non-mobility related issues that affect people's abilities to get about.
"Some people have a lot of stress and noise in their heads, and that's why they need the blue badge. People think the blue badges are just for people with obvious impairments, but there's so many reasons someone would need one.
"If you look at the statistics, it's one quarter of the population at any one time who are categorised as disabled. Either long term conditions or due to short term injuries."
Cathy has struggled with mobility for some time, after an accident in her teens. Sadly, that's not the only issue that she's dealing with.
She said: "I've had my right hip replaced twice due to a traumatic car accident when I was 12, I have a spinal injury, I had a stroke last year, I have chronic fatigue, I'm dyslexic and dyspraxic. I have good and bad days, sometimes I'm using crutches.
"I can't walk very far, some days I'm bed bound by the pain. It's a spectrum, but I generally just shuffle along.
"I'm dependent on my car, it's my lifeline. During winter my joints freeze up and being outside for more than a few minutes can end up with me in debilitating pain.
"I need my car, and I need places to park it."
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: "The Trams to Newhaven project will significantly enhance public transport provision, as well as improving public spaces along the route, which will help those with mobility issues.
"However, the needs of the vulnerable road users remains of utmost importance and I can assure blue badge holders that they can still park in lots of locations on Leith Walk including in pay and display bays and on single and yellow double lines, if it's safe to do so and there are no loading restrictions.
"There will be blue badge spaces on side streets too. Throughout the development of designs, the project team engaged with accessibility groups, to deliver a road layout which took the needs of all road users into account.
"We are confident there is sufficient parking for blue badge holders, but will consider additional measures if issues are identified when the project is complete."
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