New speed bumps to be introduced at Arbroath primary school after safety campaign

Speed bumps are set to be installed outside Warddykes Primary School gates after a year of campaigning from pupils in a bid to slow speeding drivers.

By Liam Rutherford

August 10 2023, 3:39pm

Fellow pupils supported the campaign. Image: Lily Souter

New speed bumps are set to be introduced at an Angus primary school as drivers continue to flaunt speed limits.

Speed bumps are set to be installed outside Arbroath’s Warddykes Primary School after a year of campaigning by pupils in a bid to slow speeding drivers.

The £19,000 proposal will be brought before councillors next week and, if approved, should be installed within the current financial year.

Measures to slow drivers in the area have been considered since pupil Lily Souter started a safety campaign after the school’s lollipop man was almost hit last year.

Warddykes pupils’ campaign for road safety

Lily and fellow pupils designed posters for the schools gates to try to encourage drivers to slow down when passing the school.

Lily Souter led campaign to get drivers to slow down at school gates. Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

The campaign caught the attention of Independent councillor Lois Speed who raised concerns about speeding, parking and visibility on Brechin Road with Angus roads chiefs.

The installation of traffic islands, extra traffic markings, and targeted police enforcement at the start and end of the school day, has also been implemented in the area.

Campaign for more road safety measures after school lollipop man nearly hit. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

However the increased precautions have done little to stop drivers from driving recklessly up and down Brechin Road.

A report for Tuesday’s communities committee showed responses to a consultation on introducing speed bumps mostly backed the move.

One said: “Anything that slows traffic in any area of Arbroath is a good thing”

Arbroath residents want more to be done

Some even called for more speed bumps than just outside the school, to prevent motorists travelling at “terrifying” speeds.

One response said: “I think the whole road would benefit from having these installed in this area, or up the whole road to stop traffic speeding up in a built-up area where many families live.”

Another commented that the new speed bumps are an “excellent idea, but could do with more further up Brechin Road”.

Others were less enthusiastic about the proposal, branding the idea as “absolute terrible.”

One anonymous response suggested that the problem wasn’t with the speed of the drivers but with the level of traffic in the area saying: “I live in the Warddykes area, and I do not think the issue is speed.

“The volume of traffic in this area is a concern and forces myself and others to slow down to overtake/pass parked cars that are waiting to collect their children.”