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Observation 12:
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Unfortunately I don’t have time to study the
strategy document in fine detail but having a Word version makes electronic
searches possible has made it possible for me to quickly produce the
following observations.
- The words "walker" and
"climber" appear once.
- "Safety" only appears within the
context of road safety.
- I can find no evidence of organisation
representing walkers or climbers amongst the partners shown in the
document.
- Speaking as a hill walker the last thing I
want to do at the end of a walk is wait any significant period of time
(e.g. more than 10 minutes) for a bus. In wet and cold conditions that
could occur any time of year a prompt partial change of clothing is very
desirable and often essential once a walker stops walking. This factor
is not mentioned at all with regard to provisioning of bus services.
- Even with the best of weather forecasts
local conditions on the hills can mean a walker or climber can be
delayed for some time. A car in a car park does not clock off at the end
of a shift but bus drivers do. Walking along roads in the dark after
missing the last bus would not just be unpleasant but dangerous. I can
find nothing in the strategy document that indicates bus timetables
would need to take delayed walkers safety into account.
- In winter conditions both walkers and
climbers are likely to have equipment (ice axes, crampons etc.) with
them that is not normally taken into account when outfitting buses. The
bus requirements need include allowance for persons with large rucksacks
on their backs with such equipment attached to the rucksacks getting on
and off the buses. Bus seats etc. also need to be easy clean and dry not
just clean as identified in section 5.9 of the strategy.
My conclusion from the strategy document is
that the proposers of the strategy are ignorant of the what facilities
walkers and climbers need.
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