Call for touch-free pedestrian crossings

Local campaigner Raj Sood is calling for South Glos Council to trial touch-free pedestrian crossings in the busy shopping centre of Downend.

Raj said:

"When we press the button on a pedestrian crossing, we are touching a surface that many others will have already touched, some of whom may have Covid. Installing a simple, relatively cheap piece of kit allows people to operate it touch-free. That cuts the risk of spreading the virus, especially in a busy place like Downend shopping centre. I want to see this technology piloted here, where it could make a real difference."

Cllr Claire Young, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on South Glos Council, wrote to officials to ask them to run a pilot. She said:

"We all want to be as safe as possible as we go about our daily lives. Despite the recent good news on vaccines, it looks like we'll need to be careful about hand hygiene for some time to come. Anything that cuts the number of times we have to touch a surface that others touch has got to help cut the spread not only of Covid but also of other viruses and infections that blight our lives. I hope officials will look seriously at trying out this technology."

Notes: The photo shows Raj Sood at the pedestrian crossing in Downend Shopping Centre. Upgrading this crossing with touch-free sensors - at a cost of around £400 - would allow it to operated by a wave of the hand. Other, simpler, crossings would be even cheaper to upgrade.