London's blind people 'trapped in their homes by shoddy pavements'

[Northerner]

The poor state of London?s pavements means blind people feel unable to leave their homes, according to research.

Two in three visually impaired people have tripped or stumbled on damaged footpaths in Britain, with London councils spending over ?6 million on compensation for personal injury claims in the past four years.

New research revealed at the start of Guide Dogs Week 2013 shows complaints in the capital rose by 25 per cent in the last four years, despite spending on pavements increasing by 6.5 per cent.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...-their-homes-by-shoddy-pavements-8858251.html

 

[AlisonM]

We have a similar problem here, exacerbated by the fact that cold weather causes further damage to pavements and roads. Some of the pavements round me are positively dangerous, it scares me as I'm none too steady on my feet at times.

Surely it would be cheaper just to do the repairs than waste scarce funds fighting compensation cases and then paying out on them when they lose?