Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Portugal and using “scooters” – Computers
The “unbridled and uncivilized” use of the scooter increased the fear of using public space among blind people, exacerbating the feeling of isolation of those who do not see, today denounced the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Portugal.
“Which What happens to many blind people is that it happens when a cane realizes the scooter is already close and the shock is no longer avoidable.. The public fear that will happen to many invisible people will stop circulating in space”, explained the president of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Portugal (ACAPO) to Lusa.
As difficulties in getting around on a public sidewalk are not new, scooters are just the latest item on the list: “It’s the car stopped for only five minutes, it’s the pickup truck that’s just doing a flush, it’s the motorcycle parked on the sidewalk. Joining these are a newer one, the scooters”, the person in charge.
In municipalities, the use of scooters is regulated, as is the case, for example, in Porto, where the regulation of the Sharing Services in Soft Modes of Transport of the Municipal Council stipulates that it is “allowed the circulation of vehicles sharing services in pedestrians, squares, urban areas and sidewalks“, but reports of disrespect for the law are daily.
“Unfortunately, we have received several reports of trotting on sidewalks, at motorsport speeds, in races. It’s cute for tourists but dangerous for a pedestrian, even more so for a visual. The problem is not in the scooter, but in the unbridled and uncivil use of those who use it”, he stressed.
Rodrigo Santos explained that “accidents” are those reported by APO associates: “There are several like physical injuries from collisions, being run over, falls. And then there’s the issue of canes that get broken and that for a visual is to be doubly prevented from seeing”, drew attention.
In addition to the scooters in circulation, another complaint arrives at ACAPO, the scooters that are not parked properly: “It’s worth seeing at the public transport interface, whether in Cais do Sodré, in Oriente, in Lisbon, in Trindade or in S. Bento, in Porto, the countless abandoned scooters, piled up and scattered. It’s on crosswalks, it’s next to the stops. It goes beyond imagination,” she enumerated.
According to the official, the misuse of scooters and disrespect for the laws of circulation of those consequences “in addition to physical” and “even more serious”.
“The fear of having accidents, of being hurt, tripping over a poorly stopped scooter, leads many blind people to avoid leaving the house. What does this cause? The feeling of loneliness, isolation, lack of integration in the life of cities increases. These are ills that go far beyond the physical ones”, he denounced.