Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Council urged to cut speed around schools
Plea for new 20mph zones
A Coatbridge councillor is calling for 20mph speed limits to be implemented in all streets immediately surrounding North Lanarkshire’s schools.
Coatbridge North member Allan Stubbs raised the issue at this week’s council meeting after witnessing the volume and speed of traffic encountered by pupils at the Greenhill and Drumpark primaries campus, near Dunbeth Road.
Members voted 35-27 against the immediate implementation of the scheme but instead agreed to conduct a feasibility study on introducing the lower speed limits and report back to the council’s infrastructure committee.
Speaking about the Greenhill and Drumpark campus, Councillor Stubbs told members: “The main road there is Dunbeth Road, which is one of the busiest in Coatbridge.
“Policy dictates that signs are only put on streets with certain levels of traffic and where there’s an entrance to a school but Dunbeth Road doesn’t have a school entrance and traffic won’t get up to that speed at the side roads with the entrances; Albert Street and Colt Terrace.
“This motion seeks to correct that policy. It could save a child’s life on roads round schools and I’d ask that this simple step of installing flashing signs for drivers approaching schools be taken.”
He added: “We don’t need a feasibility study.
“These are signs we already have in place, and there’s a disparity that schools which have them are safer than those which don’t.
“We already know how much it costs, and we shouldn’t put a price on children’s safety.”
Councillor S t u b b s’ request for the installation of flashing speed limit signs – to be operated at the start and end of the school day – was seconded by Agnes Magowan, who said: “I feel very strongly about this. It’s crucial to cut speed near schools.
“Vehicle- activated signs are useful in changing driver behaviour and at 20mph there are air quality improvements, noise pollution goes down and traffic volumes decrease.”
However, a maj o r i t y of councillors instead supported an amendment from infrastructure convener Michael McPake, calling for the study to be carried out and reported back to a future meeting of that committee.
The Glenboig member previously represented Coatbridge North, which includes Greenhill and Drumpark, and said he had also raised concerns around the area.