A plea has been made today for greater understanding of the needs of an increasing number of elderly and disabled people in the Bristol who are using mobility scooters to stay in touch with friends and family.
The number of mobility scooters on Britain’s streets has grown from 70,000 to 300,000 in the last five years and Bristol-based mobility specialist Bob Sansom says there is a growing intolerance of the needs of scooter users.
Mr Sansom, who runs Access Able in St John’s Lane, Bedminster, Bristol, said more and more organisations are bringing in rules over storage and transportation of scooters because of the numbers in use.
He said: “Mobility scooters are getting more sophisticated and with our ageing population they are vital to the quality of life of so many people. Local councils and even some businesses are now starting to introduce rules because of problems thrown up by the sheer number of scooters in use.
“Elderly and disabled Bristolians who rely on mobility scooters to get about are being penalised for parking them outside their homes and prevented from gaining access and using pathways across the city’s parks.
“Transport is also becoming a major issue – they have been banned from using bus and train services in some cities and there are even reports P&O are going to ban mobility scooters from most of their cabins on their cruise ships from next year.
“We need councils and businesses to look sensibly at the issue of mobility and to work with specialists to find workable solutions to the problems that scooters in large numbers might cause rather than just bring in a rule banning them.”
Access Able is the main Motability dealer in Bristol, providing financial help for people to be able to afford scooters and powered wheelchairs to transform their lives.
But increasing rules over storage of scooters or access to buildings and amenities, introduced by local authorities and housing organisations, is restricting the usefulness for many users, leaving them housebound and isolated from their family, friends and community.
Said Mr Sansom: “People who rely on mobility scooters are being penalised simply for trying to stay as self-reliant as the rest of us. I am sure there would be an outcry if the authorities attempted to control other minority groups in the same way.
“Bob said both private and local authority residents had been hit by bans imposed in the name of safety. Parking and storage are issues that need to be addressed properly and not simply dealt with through a blanket ban.
“Although we have had reports of alternative storage facilities being made available at one council-run home in Bristol, many elderly and disabled people are being forced to relinquish their mobility scooters and are now virtually housebound.
