I’ve been really upset to discover that wheelchair users are having such a difficult time getting around our town. One of my constituents, Rachel, contacted me to raise the issue of there being very few dropped kerbs. The journey to get from her house to her doctors should take about 5 minutes – instead it’s taking at least 15 as she has to make a huge diversion due to there being very few kerbs she can get up and down in her electric chair. This means she’s also forced to often break the law by driving into the road – something only a user with a chair that can travel 12mph and has lights has the right to do. She regularly puts her life in danger as a result. Also frustrating is being able to drop down onto a road from a pavement – but not being able to get back up on the other side due to the kerb being too high. Rachel has been tipped out of her chair on six occasions since she started using it three months ago. She has sustained cuts and bruises and most recently a perforated eardrum. This is just not acceptable. I’ve written to Lancashire County Council who have responsibility for the highways asking them how they can improve the situation for the many wheelchair users in Fleetwood. If you are a wheelchair user and are experiencing the same problems please do get in touch with me. Email me on cat.smith.mp@parliament.uk or call my office on 01253 490 440. Could I also remind drivers that it’s a contravention to park adjacent to a dropped kerb at any time. You can receive a Penalty Charge Notice of £130.