Hundreds call for more school crossings

Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for more crossings and traffic calming around the city’s schools.

Green councillor Sarah Nield started the petition, which calls for Safe School Walking Zones around every school.

The zones would get more crossings across busy roads as well as prominent signage and road markings informing drivers they need to be aware of children walking to school.

Councillor Nield said: “At the moment schools encourage children to walk in but as I know from my own personal experience, quite often there’s at least one big road with no crossing.

“The essence of a Walk to School zone is more crossings at key points. Every community seems to know where the crossings should be.

It’s also about increasing awareness that there are schoolchildren, thousands of them walking to school and at the moment they’re dodging traffic.

“Every family has got at least one story about a near miss. We have all had those moments where you’ve had to slam a hand on the car bonnet.

“A lot of our schools don’t even have a crossing in front of the school.”

The campaign calls for:

• New council policy which says all schools will be supported to develop Safe School Walking Zones, and that the necessary crossings and road markings will be added within schools’ 10 min walking zones to create them.
• Safe School Walking Zones to be clearly visually marked throughout so drivers cannot miss the fact they are in one.
• Consultation with schools and their communities, so that people can share their ideas on how to make a Safe School Walking Zone.

So far, almost 800 people have signed the online petition, and scores more have signed a paper version. Once signatures hit 1,250, the proposal will be debated by the council.