Mobility scooter trashed by hazardous wheelie bins
Bins have been blocking mobility scooters and prams in Half Mile Close. Pictured inset is Mile Cross councillor Vaughan Thomas - Credit: Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys/Sophie Wylie
A disabled woman is in a constant battle to get around after thoughtless folks keep dumping wheelie bins in her way.
Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys, 49, of Half Mile Close, believes her scooter has had £200 worth of damage after bashing into multiple bins outside her home.
Having moved into the Mile Cross street in February, the woman has called on the city council to help move back some of the bins away from the pavement.
Her mobility scooter is needed for her emphysema, arthritis, asthma and fibromyalgia.
She said: "I can't go out at the minute as I am too worried to use it in case it gets damaged anymore.
Damage to Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys' mobility scooter - Credit: Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys
"There is no space and the kerb is too high for me to go into the road to avoid the bins.
"People park in front of the gate and sometimes on the pathway. Parents with pushchairs and children are having to step into the road when cars are travelling along there."
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The Mile Cross woman has had to rely on a friend - who has a five-year-old child - to take her out when it is urgent.
Vaughan Thomas, Labour city councillor for the Mile Cross ward, believes obstacle bins have been causing problems across the city.
Mancroft ward councillor for Norwich City Council Vaughan Thomas. Picture: Sophie Wyllie - Credit: Sophie Wyllie
Mr Thomas said: "It's an issue and one we need to address that's for sure. If the lady in question wants to contact me directly then that is fine.
"Mums are having to push prams into the middle of the road which is just awful. We can see what we can do but the bins do ultimately need to be put out.
"She has a right to be able to get around on a mobility scooter. That's a fact."
Bins blocking the pavement in Half Mile Close - Credit: Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys
Mr Thomas used to work as a binman himself when he was living in Yorkshire in the 1980s when plastic bags were used instead of wheelie bins.
He said wheelie bins can have an impact on the aesthetics of city homes.
"There seems to be a glitch in the design of everyday living. It's not nice from a practical point of view," Mr Vaughan added.
Damage to Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys' mobility scooter - Credit: Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys
The city council has been contacted.
Bins have obstructed mobility scooter users and people pushing prams in Half Mile Close - Credit: Elle Claire Goodright-Jefferys
