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Rotuaari Pedestrian Plans in Disabled Controversy |
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By Virpi Hattukangas
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Sunday, 27 April 2008 |
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Oulu City Council has met with strong opposition from disability organisations to their plans to limit car traffic at Rotuaari. Although the Council plans include more P-permit parking spaces near Rotuaari, ‘it isn’t enough’ say some. Kaleva has been reporting on the spin off discussion started by the City’s recent plans to make Rotuaari a car free zone after 11.00am.
The plans to reclaim Rotuaari for pedestrians have sparked a bitter discussion about the provision of adequate rights and services for disabled people. Individuals and representative organisations for disabled people object to the new European pedestrian zone traffic sign at Rotuaari and call for the right to drive to the pedestrian zone at any time and also for P-permit parking spaces at Rotuaari itself. The current plans to limit delivery traffic at Rotuaari to between 6.00am and 11.00am apply also to dropping off or picking up disabled passengers. The City has received feedback on their recent improvement plans and is now considering the legality of their plans and their final position on the Rotuaari matter. Local Parliamentarian Erkki Pulliainen has been asked by various organisations to head the opposition to these plans in their current form. According to Pulliainen, local organisations will try to influence the decision makers and negotiate changes first at local and then at national level. If that fails the next step is to contact the European Court of Human Rights. Both Taina Pitkänen-Koli and Jorma Heikkinen from the Council’s technical department defend the Council’s plans as being in line with the current traffic law. Although no individual groups are granted exceptions under this law, the Council is now reviewing the plans that in the current timeline would come into force this autumn. Oulu Council is, however, holding onto its position of refusing any parking spots for P-permit holders at Rotuaari itself. There will be five new P-permit parking spaces around Rotuaari and the taxi ranks are next to Rotuaari entries in Isokatu, Pakkahuoneenkatu and Torikatu. It is also possible to park free at Stockmann and Autosaari (behind Anttila) car parks. Heikkinen from the City’s technical department also emphasises that limiting car traffic at Rotuaari diminishes the challenges that for instance the visually and hearing impaired people currently face with traffic at Rotuaari. (Kaleva)
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