00:01How easy do you find it to travel along Leeds' streets?
00:05Have you ever had a near-miss with a cyclist,
00:08or has a wheelie bin or parked car on the pavement ever stopped you in your tracks?
00:13Leeds City Council has drawn up a street charter,
00:16which aims to make the city's streets safer for disabled and elderly people.
00:20Bins left on pavements, advertising boards, overgrown shrubbery and effective footpaths
00:26are among the issues being looked at.
00:28The purpose of the charter is to provide a clear, shared understanding
00:33of the barriers affecting Leeds' streets,
00:35with the DeafBlind Society, Guide Dogs, Older People's Forum
00:39and the Council's Social Services Department among the organisations involved.
00:44The proposal is aiming to have a significant and positive impact
00:47on the accessibility, inclusiveness and usability of the city's street environment.
00:53Residents and refuse workers will be encouraged not to leave bins on pavements
00:57and the Council will work with the police to keep pavements clear of parked vehicles.
01:03The street charter said that drivers who parked on the pavement
01:06often thought they were doing the right thing by keeping the road clear,
01:10but the result is that people with sight loss often cannot see the obstruction
01:13until it's too late and they collide with the vehicle.
01:17Cyclists will be encouraged to stay off the pavement and bike bypasses could be introduced at bus stops.
01:24The charter has been formally approved at Leeds Civic Hall.
01:29The charter has been with the
Comments