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Tactile Platform Surfaces

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Tio Terry

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The short answer is "Yes".

But, as ever, finance rears its head. It has been practice to only upgrade existing infrastructure when other works are taking place - one example being platforms at London Waterloo that were extended for 10 car trains getting tactiles but the remainder not getting them. There is not a bottomless pit of money to bring all stations up to current day requirements. If there was there would be step free access, including lifts, everywhere. I can't comment on Eden Park, I've never used the station, but it's most certainly not the only one in that situation.
 

plugwash

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How many deaths per year would be prevented by tactile platform surfaces everywhere?

How much would it cost to retrofit all platforms with tactile surfaces?

Given the above two numbers is the cost per life saved reasonable?
 

Titfield

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My view is that it is the sort of project that should be rolled out on an ongoing basis in much the same way that councils have installed dropped tactile kerb edges on pavements over the past xx years.

It may cost money but surely under the Equality Act this is a "must do".
 

philthetube

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How often do blind people fall on to tracks, are there figures.


were there any special circumstances in this case which prevented the man finding the edge with his stick, and was he expecting to feel tactile paving and did this expectation lead to the accident.

Could this be a case of safety measures causing the opposite of what is intended?
 

swt_passenger

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How often do blind people fall on to tracks, are there figures.


were there any special circumstances in this case which prevented the man finding the edge with his stick, and was he expecting to feel tactile paving and did this expectation lead to the accident.

Could this be a case of safety measures causing the opposite of what is intended?
He wasn’t using a stick, but a white painted walking aid.
The RAIB report doesn’t appear to mention any previous similar occurrences.

But the RAIB report is here, which has all the detail of exactly what happened:
 

seagull

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No. Where do you draw the line? Zero deaths is an impossible target in almost any situation, given that we are humans and not robots.
Tactile surfaces might, for example, prevent one death every ten years from a visually impaired person, but cause one death every ten years due to the bumpy nature causing a trip by an elderly person (and I have seen that happen, luckily not with that consequence).
Fitting such surfaces as and when appropriate, yes, I can agree that is a good solution. But not as a compulsory retrofit everywhere.
 

mark-h

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Tactile surfaces might, for example, prevent one death every ten years from a visually impaired person, but cause one death every ten years due to the bumpy nature causing a trip by an elderly person
A rushed rollout of tactile surfaces would be particularly likely to have this problem adding extra trip hazards to the platforms.
 

Elecman

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Adding Tactile Surfacing to existing platforms without them would be classed as Enhancement works not Maintenance therefore would require specific DaFT funding
 

30907

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Adding Tactile Surfacing to existing platforms without them would be classed as Enhancement works not Maintenance therefore would require specific DaFT funding
Which is an issue raised in the report for NR et al to consider.
Platforms are typically not resurfaced in one go, but patched, so tactile paving doesn't get installed.
 
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