Blister On-Street Tactile

"The purpose of the blister surface is to provide a warning to visually impaired people who would otherwise, in the absence of a kerb upstand less than 25mm high, find it difficult to differentiate between where the footway ends and the carriageway begins.  The surface is therefore an essential safety feature for this group of road users at pedestrian crossing points, where the footway is flush with the carriageway to enable wheelchair users to cross unimpeded"

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Areas of use: the blister tactile surface should be installed in the absence of an upstand at both controlled and uncontrolled crossing points: where the footway has been dropped flush with the carriageway; or where the carriageway has been raised to the level of the footway. Red tiles are used for controlled crossings & buff for uncontrolled crossings.

Blister Off-Street Tactile

"The purpose of this surface is to advise visually impaired people of the edge of all off street railway platforms"

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This design has flat topped domes set in evenly spaced rows parallel to the direction of travel along a platform.  The offset of the domes indicates the direction of travel to the train.

Areas of use: heavy rail platforms, off-street light rapid transit (LRT) platforms, and underground platforms.

Corduroy Tactile

"The purpose of the corduroy surface is to warn visually impaired people of the presence of specific hazards; steps, level crossings or the approach to on street light rapid transport (LTR) platforms.  It is also used where a footway joins a shared route, it conveys the message: Hazard, proceed with caution"

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Areas of use: the top and bottom of steps; the foot of a ramp to an on-street light rapid transit (LRT) platform, but not at any other ramps; a level crossing; where people could inadvertently walk directly on to a platform at a railway station; and where a footway/footpath joins a shared route.

Guidance Path

"The purpose of the guidance path surface is to guide visually impaired people along a route when the traditional cues, such as a property line or kerb edge, are not available. It can also be used to guide people around obstacles, for example street furniture in a pedestrianised area. The surface has been designed so that people can be guided along the route either by walking on the tactile surface or by maintaining contact with a long cane"

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Areas of use: where the traditional guidance given by a standard footway between the property line and carriageway does not exist (for example, in a pedestrian precinct); where pedestrians need to be guided around obstacles (for example, in a pedestrian precinct): although care should be taken in siting street furniture to ensure that such problems are not created; where a number of visually impaired people need to find a specific location; and in transport terminals to guide people between facilities.

Cycle Track

"The purpose of the tactile surface used in conjunction with a segregated shared cycle track/footway is to advise visually impaired people of the correct side to enter"

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Areas of use: the tactile surface and central delineator strip should be used on any segregated shared route where the designated pedestrian side is not physically separated from the designated cyclist side, for example by a difference in level.

Web link:

A comprehensive reference to the use of tactile paving systems may be found by following this link to the Department for Transport's website:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/peti/guidanceontheuseoftactilepav6167