‘Pupils are dicing with death on a daily basis’

Tayview Primary School opened its doors in August after Hillside and Gowriehill primaries closed their doors.

However, the multimillion-pound school on Dickson Avenue has been plagued with problems, including its pedestrian crossings not working.

There has also been no crossing patroller at the school.

Ian Morrison, chairman of the parent council at Tayview Primary School in Menzieshill, said he has now written to the city council about his concerns.

Mr Morrison says it is “imperative” that crossing patrollers are employed at the primary school.

He was speaking after parents of children at the school said children’s lives were being put at risk every day.

Mr Morrison said: “Tayview is experiencing critical problems on the crossing, right outside the main school gate on Dickson Avenue.

“On a daily basis, children are having close escapes with traffic.

“Over the last week or so, there have been several instances of close shaves outside the school and children are dicing with death here on a daily basis.

“In view of all these factors, it is now essential that a school crossing patroller is in place at the school’s start and end times until the city council proves otherwise.”

Mum Zoe Walker, of Menzieshill, said that she, along with many other parents, were very worried about the crossing and would welcome a patroller.

The 29-year-old added: “It is really dangerous. The road is very busy and traffic drives very quickly up it.”

Another parent, Becky Ricketts, said she had witnessed children running across when the lights were at green.

The city council’s children and families convener Gregor Murray said: “All the crossing patrollers that are due to be in place are being covered.

“We had a temporary crossing patroller in place while the lights were not in operation, but now these are in place. They will have been moved to where they are needed most.

“Our system for deploying patrollers is based on RoSPA (Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents) guidelines of what is safest, although we have halved the threshold they recommend — a demonstration of how seriously we take this matter.”

PUPILS at Dundee’s newest primary school are “dicing with death” on a daily basis, it has been claimed.

Ian Morrison, chairman of the parent council at Tayview Primary, says it is “imperative” that crossing patrollers are employed at the school.

The school crossing.