Wrongly laid tiles point blind into traffic

Chris Orr shows some of the tiles. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Blind people are being directed into the path of oncoming traffic in Auckland City because warning tactile indicators to safely guide them across the road have been incorrectly laid.

Instead of being laid at right angles to the footpath to allow visually impaired people to cross the road in a straight line, many indicators have been laid at an angle that sends people on a diagonal path towards oncoming traffic.

The indicators are typically raised round tiles fixed to a tile or the footpath to warn the blind of obstacles and to provide direction.

Foundation of the Blind education and awareness manager Chris Orr said yesterday the wrongly laid indicators were a safety risk that the Auckland City Council was doing its best to fix to new installation standards.

Mr Orr, who is blind, yesterday visited the intersection of Quay St and Commerce St and said: "It is dangerous because if you follow the indicators you go straight out into the traffic.

"In the end we are worried about the safety and the freedom of blind people to travel and navigate around the city independently.

"That's what these warning indicators are for."

There are about 1420 blind, deaf and visually impaired people in Auckland City and about 3340 throughout Greater Auckland.

Council traffic safety manager Karen Hay said last night that she did not have a figure on the number of incorrectly laid indicators but it was "significant".

They were spread throughout 3400 intersections in the city.

Indicators laid at street level at the Britomart transport precinct only three years ago are being ripped up and replaced.

The replacement cost varies from $3000 to $10,000 for each intersection.

WalkAuckland has also highlighted to the council the dangerous situation that exists with the tactile indicators and expressed a concern that the stainless-steel versions are slippery when wet. The pedestrian group would like the council to lay yellow rubber indicators instead.