Call to retain Hawkhill crossing patroller

CONCERNS have been raised after Dundee City Council revealed plans to remove a lunchtime crossing patroller from a busy Dundee road.

The authority is proposing to remove the lollipop person from the crossing on Hawkhill at lunchtimes.

West End councillor Fraser Macpherson said the removal of the crossing patroller would leave Blackness Primary pupils at risk – and that the decision should be put to councillors first.

He said: “There are, according to the city council’s own survey figures, around 14 pupils crossing here every lunchtime. That’s not a huge number but we must recognise that there is a duty to provide safe crossing points for every pupil. Moreover, most of the pupils crossing Hawkhill at lunchtime are unaccompanied by parents or carers. Hawkhill is an extremely busy road with thousands of vehicles, including HGVs and buses, using it.

“It is a main arterial route into the city centre andI believe it is vital that the school crossing patroller should be retained at lunchtime.” In a letter to Blackness parents, the council said: “Tayside Contracts have carried out site surveys to determine if the ROSPA/ Road Safety GB criteria is being met over the lunchtime period at the SCP point used by pupils of Blackness Primary School.

“The outcome of this site survey has shown that four pupils (accompanied by a parent/carer) and 10 pupils (unaccompanied) used this crossing point and therefore it does not meet the ROSPA/Road Safety GB criteria.”