Letter: Highways - Pavements must be safe to walk on

Like many long suffering townspeople I have had the odd rant about the appalling state of Harrogate's roads.
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I still haven’t seen any credible policy as to how, when or if this is to be addressed.

However, since trying to make more effort to walk into and around town I have found the pavements just as challenging.

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In town, paving slabs are disappearing to be replaced by a patchwork quilt of poorly laid tarmac.

Frequent gas, electricity, water and communications work under the pavements add new areas of tarmac to sink and break up over time. On tree lined avenues roots are pushing up the pavements to cause extra trip hazards. In other areas inconsiderate parking is blocking the pavements.

Some residents are too lazy to garage cars or use their drives.

Others seem to consider grassy council owned areas outside their homes as private parking areas.

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They churn them up into a muddy morass then move on a few feet to create more mess.

Cars are partially or totally blocking pavements. Why should people walking or pushing prams have to step into the road to navigate round cars?

We are encouraged to walk more to alleviate traffic density and pollution but walking is proving hazardous for different reasons.

I haven’t mentioned a dangerous and inconsiderate minority of cyclists that I have come across on the town’s pavements.

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I frequently see traffic wardens ticketing vehicles on Harrogate’s urban streets for not displaying valid tickets or discs. This obviously generates easy revenue.

Perhaps on one day per week they could be given powers and orders to patrol the outer residential areas ticketing illegal and inconsiderate parking.

Pedestrians must be allowed to safely use the pavements and be spared having to hurdle, circumvent or dodge obstacles just to progress from A to B!

M Hodgson

Old Trough Way,

Harrogate

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