'Russian roulette': Councillor speaks on Glasgow road crossings

Councillor Robert Mooney, Labour representative, said disabled Glaswegians are treated as an 'afterthought' as many crossings don't have working rotating cones — a tactile device which lets visually impaired people know when it is safe to cross — or audible signals.
He has warned that someone will be killed if action isn't taken to address the problem.
The council's transport convener, Angus Millar, SNP, said the council is 'committed' to replacing or installing the cones across the city.
'That will be done on an ongoing basis as the funding is available,' he added.
In late 2021, it was revealed that 403 of 890 signal-controlled junctions across the city did not have a tactile cone. By July 2022, the council said 150 did not have features like rotating cones.
Councillor Mooney said crossing roads in the city is 'like playing Russian roulette' for visually impaired people.
'Russian roulette': Councillor speaks on Glasgow road crossings (Image: Newsquest)
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He explained: 'I was up at Cathedral Street a few months ago, I couldn't see whether the green man was on.
'The tactile cone wasn't working. I'd waited for some amount of time, there was a bus stopped at the traffic lights.
"I said to myself, 'the green man must be on', I walked out and a bus came in the next lane, stopped about an inch from me.
'If I'd walked out a bit later, I wouldn't be here today. Somebody is going to get killed if this isn't addressed.'
He also said the council's accessible design forum has not met since October, but the redevelopment of the city's public realm is 'moving on at a massive pace'.
Millar said the forum holds talks about 'general principles around design' and lessons are fed into the design of different projects, which are then subject to consultation.
He added: 'Disabled people and others are engaged with on active travel projects.
"We have, on active travel projects, a really robust process of engagement with the local community and all stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative groups.'

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