Blind man stranded on crossing says 'lives are at risk due to lack of safety feature'

Dr Amit Patel claims he was stuck on a crossing on St Vincent Street, Glasgow near the M8 slip road, because of a missing rotating tactile cone used to help the visually impaired cross the road safely.

Dr Patel says he had to wait until a kind-hearted passer-by came to his rescue and helped him.

He said: “There’s no excuses whatsoever for the state of the crossing and it’s putting lives at risk, something has to be done.

“I rely on a tactile cone to get around and retain my independence. It’s appalling that lives are being put at risk on busy streets.

“I get nervous walking around new places and was trying to navigate my way into the city centre. It’s hugely important for visually impaired people that the proper safety features are maintained regularly.

“I don’t think people realise how much of a lifeline these are. I had no choice but to just stand on an island until someone noticed me and helped me to safety. There was no other way of crossing without putting my life on the line.”

Dr Patel, who lives in London but was in the city centre for work, says he was shocked by what he claims is a lack of facilities to help people get around.

He added: “For a city of Glasgow’s size, it is extremely poor to find that basic requirements to help visually impaired people navigate its streets are missing.”

Mr Patel worked as an A&E doctor before losing his sight 10 years ago. He suffers from keratoconus, which changes the shape of the corneas. He underwent seven cornea transplants and finally regained 20/20 vision before losing his ability to see just one year after getting married.

The dad-of-two admits his world was shattered and he struggled to adapt to life without vision and the loss of his career.

He said: “I’m one of those rare individuals for whom the transplant rejected. I woke up in complete darkness and I had no idea what to do with my life. I went through some dark times but I decided I want to live my life to the full on my terms and started to rebuild myself.

“Getting my guide dog Kika was a huge turning point and helped rebuild my confidence.”

Mr Patel is now a bestselling author, broadcaster and motivational speaker and hopes Glasgow City Council will act to ensure their streets are accessible to all.

He added: “It’s important to feel safe crossing the street and I often feel invisible to others. Having to navigate streets when you are blind isn’t easy and causes a lot of anxiety. It’s time, this needs to be sorted as a matter of priority.”

Mr Patel filmed the issues he was having trying to cross busy city centre streets and posted the clip online.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Our contractor checked the signals at St Vincent Street next to the junction with the M8 and found no faults with the revolving tactile cones at this location.”