Mombasa County Government through the Department of Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works has embarked on a plan to incorporate a Tactile paving on Mombasa roads to assist Visually Impaired Pedestrians.
The department in collaboration with the Youth, Gender, Sports and Cultural Affairs Department held a consultative meeting with the visually impaired as well as sensitize them on Blister Tactile used for pedestrian crossings.
Visually impaired citizens in Mombasa have been facing challenges in the streets on a daily basis ranging from cars blocking footpaths with cross parking, unmanned structures causing obstruction among others.
The purpose of the blister surface is to provide a warning to visually impaired people who find it difficult to differentiate between where the footway ends and the beginning of a carriageway.
The profile of the blister tactile surface consists of rows of flat topped blisters lined in a square pattern uniquely made to provide an essential safety feature for this group of road users at pedestrian crossing points.
Led by CeC Taufiq Balala, the Department of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, also held a successful meeting with the Association of the Visually Impaired to consult and understand the difficulties they face in the streets.
Apart from the disturbing behaviour of cars blocking the footpaths with cross parking and obstructions by structures, they face a daily challenge of crossing the roads.
Tactile paving also called truncated domes, detectable warnings, Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, Tactile Walking Surface Indicators, Detectable Warning Surfaces is a system of textured ground surface indicator found on footpaths and stairs to assist pedestrians who are visually impaired move around with ease.
Improved transport systems is part of The Mombasa Vision 2035.