Calls to ban delivery robots from Leeds over risks to blind pedestrians
‘Our pavements are not for sale and should be for people’
Delivery robots in Leeds and across the UK pose a risk to blind pedestrians and should be banned from pavements, a charity has said.
Currently, there are no specific regulations for pavement robots.
Autonomous delivery robots are operating on streets in Leeds areas including in Hyde Park and Headingley, as well as Milton Keynes, Bristol and Cambridge.
A YouGov poll, commissioned by the charity, found that 80% of those surveyed thought the robots could cause issues for blind people and 79% said they could be a problem for pedestrians with mobility issues.
Some 60% of respondents who expressed a view on the topic said robots should not be allowed on pavements, the charity said.
Disability campaigner Dr Amit Patel, who is blind, said the country does not have the infrastructure for robots to be on pavements and for people to move around safely at the same time.
He added: “If you can see, walk or hear, you probably won’t be affected by delivery robots, but for those of us who’ve worked so hard to get our independence back, this is yet another hurdle.
“Some people tell me that it’s easier and safer to jump in a taxi and go to an out-of-town shopping centre than it is to visit their local high street because it’s just not safe.
“If we want to boost our local economies, we need to fix the legislation around delivery robots.”
Ben Foley, campaigns and policy lead at Wheels for Wellbeing and a wheelchair user, said: “For many people who use wheelchairs, tricycles, and mobility scooters to get around, too often there isn’t enough unobstructed width on the pavement.
“In some places pavement robots already create extra obstructions, as they try to get down pavements where there isn’t enough width for a wheelchair user to go the other way.
“If they are introduced more widely, there’s a real danger that large numbers of disabled people will have our routes blocked, stopping us from getting to the bus stop, the local shops, our GP surgery, from taking our children to school, commuting, or making other journeys we need to.”
Living Streets is calling on the Government to immediately take steps to ban autonomous delivery robots while there is no clear regulation and legislation.
Tana Braun, director of external affairs at the charity, said: “Our pavements are not for sale and should be for people.
“Delivery robots are putting pedestrians at risk and creating accessibility issues.
“The companies operating autonomous delivery robots in the UK are doing so within a legal grey area.
“They haven’t consulted with local communities who have legitimate concerns, as this new data shows.
“It’s concerning that these companies are selling a vision that you don’t need to leave your front door, that you’re better off and safer inside.”
“We need action now to make sure that delivery robots don’t force vulnerable members of society into isolation,” she added.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Everyone should be able to use our pavements safely, and while we welcome innovation and advances in technology, it’s vital that pedestrians and vulnerable road users are put first.
“We will carry out trials to see how pavement delivery robots can operate safely alongside pedestrians, so we can make sure the right safeguards are in place and update the law.”