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Council calls for report on school crossing safety

Latrobe City Council has called for a report on safety at school crossings, following a motion put by Cr Susan Lloyd at last week’s council meeting expressing concerns for children’s safety.

By Latrobe City Council - 29th March 2006 - Back to News

The report will advise on speed and parking issues around schools across the municipality, together with other issues that might be identified and is timely given the return to school this week.

Latrobe City mayor, Cr Lisa Price, said ‘inappropriate speed’ was still the number-one issue identified by the school crossing attendants who see the schoolchildren safely across the road at the 36 supervised crossings in Latrobe City.

"It was thought that the introduction of the 40 kilometre speed zones which operate during school term when children are likely to be travelling to or from school, would alleviate the speeding problem. However, too many drivers are simply disregarding the speed limits," Cr Price said.

"Our school crossing attendants consistently report cases of drivers approaching school crossings at inappropriate speeds. Some drivers even speed up as they approach a crossing to try and get through before children cross. It’s dangerous and irresponsible," Cr Price said.

Cr Price said council has held recent discussions with police over enforcement of school speed zones. The message for drivers is to be more vigilant and slow down at school crossings or face infringements.

"School crossing supervisors are also empowered to report the registration numbers of vehicles not stopping at crossings or parking dangerously."

Cr Price said council conducts an audit into the infrastructure at each of its school crossings annually to ensure it is providing the safest scenario.

"Additionally, council is a significant way through a comprehensive safety review of all areas surrounding schools in Latrobe City. This has been undertaken over the past four years and includes parking issues, bus access, traffic speeds and pedestrian issues such as pram access. Of the 35 primary school reviews, 33 reviews have now been completed, with secondary establishments now being targeted for the review.

"As a result of these reviews, many changes have already been made to school crossings and parking in the vicinity of school crossings to improve safety.

"However, we will again review safety around schools throughout the municipality to see if there is anything else we can do to enhance safety," Cr Price added.

On Monday, as children returned to school from their holidays, Latrobe City’s school crossing supervisors were sporting their new ‘high visibility’ vests which council has introduced.

Latrobe City’s manager local laws, Peter Fraser, said the new vests augmented the existing flags, school zone speed signs and high visibility ‘lollipop’ signs that already help identify school crossings to oncoming motorists.

"The crossings themselves are highly visible. What really needs to change is the mindset of drivers - their behavioural habits. We all need to slow down so that when we enter school speed zones during the appropriate hours we are already abiding by the school zone speed limit, and are concentrating on what’s happening on the school crossing ahead.

"Motorists also need to recognise the importance of obeying parking restrictions around schools. ‘No Stopping’ zones mean just that. Those who pull into those zones to park or pick up passengers, even for a few seconds, are creating a dangerous situation for pedestrians and other road users, by obscuring vision," Mr Fraser said.


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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