Is this the worst pavement in Britain? It's not safe for the people of Parker Street to walk down their own road. But it is not muggers or murderers which pose the threat. It is the pavement under their feet.
So says the Pedestrians Association, which has named the late Victorian terrace, in east Oxford, on a list of streets with the worst pavements in Britain.
In a new report, entitled Enjoy Your Trip?, the association has analysed more than 700 letters of complaint from the public.
Campaigners say Parker Street is typical of one in five pavements in Oxfordshire which are in a state of 'deterioration'. More pedestrians are injured walking on pavements than in accidents with cars, they say, and greater priority should be given to repairsing them.
Pedestrian's Association director Ben Plowden said: "Councils plead poverty when asked why they don't fix pavements. But the minimum cost of pavement injuries has been estimated a £500m a year."
A visit to Parker Street reveals that its pavement is, in fact, no worse than many other streets in Oxford.
The kerb is worn, the odd iron drainagegutter covers juts out and cable firm ComTel has left its trademark channels along - but the pavement could hardly be classed as lethal. The Oxford branch of the Pedestrians Association, which has 70 members, says it is better to see Parker Street is a symbol of a wider problem. It names neighbouring streets, Fairacres Road, Magdalen Road and Aston Street, as among the worst.
"I would have a job choosing the worst pavement in Oxford because there are so many," said Jenny Linsdell, chairman of the association.
She added: "A pavement fall is a very dangerous fall. I have known many people suffer ankle and wrist injuries, but if you are carrying shopping you usually land flat on your face on something hard. Many people end up in hospital."
Oxford City Council has its own pedestrian's forum to represent the interests of pedestrians in the city. Its chairman, Cllr John Tanner, accepts that pavement repairs are often well down a council's list of priorities.
County council budget cuts mean there is less available cash than ever, with councillors preferring to put limited funds into social services and education.
The city council recently had an application for £2,500 to repair the kerb in Parker Street turned down.
"The budget is extremely limited, said Mr Tanner. "I think it is worse this year than it has ever been."
Instead, Campaigners and councillors prefer to direct their efforts towards preventing pavements becoming cracked and worn in the first place. The main culprits are the drivers who park their vehicles on pavements. "People walking on pavements do not do any damage at all," said Mrs Linsdell. "The damage always comes from other places. In east Oxford many people cannot even get out of their front gates because of cars parked on the pavement and they are forced to walk on the road."
Cllr Tanner added: "People think that the worst sin is to slow down traffic. I think we have to persuade motorists that vehicles do not have a place on pavements."
The campaigners' final hope is the Government's recently published transport white paper, which devotes two pages to promoting the benefits of walking.
"It is the first time this has happened so it is a start," said Mrs Linsdell. "Pedestrians have been neglected for far too long in favour of cars and other modes of transport. May be it is about time we gave more consideration to the oldest form of transport of all."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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