Safety fears have been raised over the removal of three lollipop crossings at Downfield Primary School in Dundee.
A local councillor and parents have voiced their concerns at plans to decommission the school patroller crossing points.
The three crossings under threat of removal are:
- Haldane Crescent at the school gate
- Gillburn Road at Downfield Surgery car park
- Across Strathmartine Road at Haldane Street
Proposals to remove the school crossing points were drawn up last year with parents being given until earlier this year to make their views known and object.
However, local Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor for Strathmartine Daniel Coleman said he recently received an email from Dundee City Council which suggested the school crossing points will definitely now be removed.
Decision to remove lollipop crossings
He is opposing the decision and has asked for the issue to be discussed further at the next meeting of the Children and Families Services committee.
Cllr Coleman, who was elected in the May 2022 local elections, said the matter was brought to his attention by residents in November last year when there were plans to decommission the school’s crossings from January 2022.
The plans were then delayed for a few months until he received an update a few weeks ago.
He said: “I received an email in June from the Senior Manager Finance and Support Services indicating that these three crossings are to now be cut and I opposed that decision.
“In relation to the Gillburn Road/Strathmartine Road crossing, given just how busy and how problematic a junction it is, I am really concerned at any plans to remove these school ‘lollipop’ crossings.
“This is a notorious junction in Dundee and has all kinds of heavy traffic.
“We need to look at this in terms of pupil safety.”
Cllr Coleman said in 2016, the city council adopted criteria for school crossing patrol services, set out by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and Road Safety GB guidelines for managing the School Crossing Patrol Service (SCP).
He said the formula looks at numbers of pedestrians, vehicles as well as environmental factors and if it reaches a set score, a school crossing patrol service is justified.
He said the three crossing patrols in question have not met the adopted criteria on a few occasions – this is why they were considered for removal.
Cllr Coleman added: “I have requested that the matter is debated at the council’s children and families services committee, due on September 5, before any decision is taken on the future of these school crossing points.”
Dangerous crossings
John Anderson-McGuinness, chairman of Downfield Parent Partnership, said the group has been objecting to the proposals since becoming aware of the plans last year.
John said the Gillburn Road crossing is very dangerous, regardless of assessment numbers produced by ROSPA or the council.
He said: “For the Gillburn Road crossing there is absolutely no safe alternative for children or adults.
“It sits where the pavement ends across the road from the Turkish barbers.
“So pupils or adults have to attempt to cross at this point or going back to Strathmartine Road, which is just as dangerous.
“They then cross busy Camperdown Road, to get to traffic lights to cross back in front of Boots.
“Without walking all the way around the Sherbrook scheme, you are left with at least one dangerous crossing.”
It is only a matter of time before a serious accident happens, with a high percentage of that being a school pupil.”
John Anderson-McGuinness, Downfield Parent Partnership
He continued: “It is only a matter of time before a serious accident happens, with a high percentage of that being a school pupil.”
John added: “Up until Daniel Coleman put his complaint in, we were set to lose these crossing patrol points after the summer.
“All we ask is if it can’t be patrolled then something else needs done at such a dangerous area.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson confirmed a final decision on the school crossing points has been deferred until the matter goes before councillors.
The spokesperson said: “The process is now on hold until the matter is discussed by the children and families services committee.”
Conversation