A court case earlier this month, in which a taxi driver was fined for not seeking permission from the Liskeard signal box to drive across the level crossing at Coombe Junction, has caused concern among people with hearing difficulties. Amateur photographer Andrew Arthur, of Common Moor, who is profoundly deaf, had been planning to drive to Coombe, on the Looe Valley line, but on reading in the Cornish Times that the magistrates court at Liskeard had imposed a fine on the taxi driver of £50, plus £30 costs, he was greatly alarmed. 'I now understand that to cross the line you have to pick up the phone and talk to the signal box at Liskeard Station, and you are told either to wait because a train is coming, or you are given permission to open the gates and proceed,' said Mr Arthur. 'Without reading the court case in the paper I would have driven down to Coombe and become stuck. I would not have been able to cross the line. Because I am deaf I would not be able to speak to the signalman and the level crossing is at the end of a narrow lane. I have been horrified to learn that the maximum fine is £1,000.' Mr Arthur says that as a member of the RNID he wants to try and help this sort of situation for all deaf people and has been talking to others about it on the RNID Forum. 'I think it is unreasonable that a deaf person could be fined for not making a phone call, I feel that a phone system such as this is "disempowering" for all deaf people.' In place of, or as well as the telephone system, Mr Andrew says a simple push button system with green for go or red for stop would be sufficient to allow a safe passage for deaf drivers to go over the railway line. Safely Inquiries by the Cornish Times have revealed that no one is actually owning up to being responsible for the telephone system. Wessex Trains informed us that they are only users of the line, which is run by Network Rail. However, in a statement, Network Rail said: 'We do own the level crossing equipment but authorised users are only allowed to use it and the onus is on the authorised user to ensure that any visitors using the crossing are able to cross safely. 'If the authorised users do have any queries about the crossing equipment, Network Rail will be more than happy to listen to discuss their requirements with them.' An operator at the signal box at Liskeard told the Cornish Times that Mr Arthur, and other users can cross the line, at any time, day or night, as long as they are not driving. But, as Mr Arthur pointed out, that is not the issue.
