Your report ‘Confusion making road crossing safer’, only serves to confirm my long held belief that this council has no interest in the views or welfare of the 500 or more blind people who live in the borough.

We have been asking, since the plans for the Regent Circus were first revealed, for pedestrian controlled traffic lights to be restored instead of this so called ‘shared space’ crossing.

At a recent meeting I attended on behalf of the blind, I challenged one of the council officers to wear a blindfold and, using my white stick, walk from Morrisons to the library, using this crossing. He would also have the advantage of wearing a high visibility jacket, but he still chose to ignore my offer.

Gary Sumner may be impressed by the way the crossing is being used but this view was not supported by one of the library staff who told a Locality Group meeting attended by residents and councillors that they feared the worse whenever they heard the sound of screeching tyres.

This type of crossing relies entirely on eye contact between drivers and pedestrians; not much use if you are blind.

I may sound cynical but I wonder if the council has a hidden agenda. By convincing residents that this type of crossing is safe, it could be installed elsewhere in the town thus saving the operating costs involved with traffic lights. Council officers have admitted that when a ‘shared space’ crossing was installed in Southampton, a public outcry forced their council to restore pedestrian controlled traffic lights.

I would remind everyone that ‘people power’ can be very effective when candidates for the local elections canvass you for your vote.

John Vickery Chairman Swindon Blind Association