Pavement obstruction a recipe for tragedy

The massive pedestal with a statue is obstructing pavement access for all at the Cospicua waterfront, as can be seen from this photo. There is only about 70cm space between the wall and the pedestal for access.

According to the National Commission Persons with Disability ‘s Access for All (Design Guidelines “2.2.4 Pavements should be free from both permanent and temporary obstacles. Where occasional obstacles are unavoidable the unencumbered width of the pavement should be no less than 1,000mm at any point along its length.”

The only option for the majority of people, including wheelchair users, is to step down from the pavement and move in the arterial road along with all the vehicles at high risk of injury and, possibly, being hit by a car. Ramps are not even present to facilitate such dangerous access for wheelchair users.

This is right in front of everybody’s eyes. One asks: Does such obstruction have the approval of the local council and Church authorities? Why are such obstructions acceptable to the police when vehicles parking on pavements is an offence? For how long is this to remain? When someone gets injured or dies due to fireworks accidents, a lot of people show sympathy and there are grievances. Yet, no action is taken when such risks are deliberately imposed due to pavement obstructions; one seems to forget that prevention is better than cure.

Unfortunately, it is still quite common that outdoor feast decorations and other items that are associated with village feasts frequently block pavement access for the festive periods in most towns and villages.

I feel the presence of such obstacles, even though for temporary periods, is a direct violation of the Equal Opportunities Act and organisers should be considerate of the needs of all and ensure pavements are not obstructed without providing alternative safe passage.