Cities should be accessible for all

Calls has been made for Cork city to be included in walkability study when its developed.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould called on the Department of Transport to prioritise Cork city for a walkability study upon commencement of the scheme.

He said that he engaged with the National Disability Authority (NDA) at the Oireachtas Disability Committee on accessibility issues in Cork city that arose from its enhanced pedestrianisation of streets to encourage on-street dining.

He explained: “While we welcomed the pedestrianisation and the focus on getting people to dine safely outdoors, it was extremely worrying and frustrating that this appeared to be at the detriment of a number of disabled parking spaces in the city.

“The NDA advised me that the Department of Transport are currently developing a walkability study that would assist local authorities in identifying problem areas and fixing these to ensure that cities, towns and villages are accessible for everybody.”

He continued: “I’ve asked the Minister to consider prioritising Cork city for one of these studies. It is so important that our cities are accessible for everybody.

“In my submission to the City Development Plan, I also proposed a commitment to making Cork city a disability friendly city.

“We need to see real progress on inclusion and accessibility. Everybody should be able to enjoy our beautiful city,” he concluded.