Pupils in plea for safer roads outside school
It doesn’t feel safe to cross
PUPILS at a primary in the south of Glasgow have been fighting the cause against dangerous driving outside the school grounds, admitting that it often leaves them frightened to walk to and from school.
Members of the St Angela’s Primary School’s eco committee and pupil council have now come together to call on safer roads surrounding the school.
Primary seven pupil Arisha, 12, said: “It can be really scary when you’re trying to cross the road outside. When it’s icy too, the cars slip all over the place and it doesn’t feel safe to cross.
“Cars block the driveways of houses too and then nobody can get out of the street.”
The pupils also told of how often parents will drop children off while waiting at traffic lights, with kids leaving the car to step onto the busy road that sees frequent buses turning the corner.
Deputy Head of St Angela’s infant school, Margaret Higgins, said: “We’ve been here for 40 years and the road hasn’t changed. The problem is that there are more cars on the road now so it becomes more congested. We’ve really got the pupils behind this cause, we’ll be doing a poster campaign to highlight the issue and you can tell from even speaking to the kids, you can tell it’s important to them.”
The school’s eco committee has focused on the issue of car idling which, despite street signs that prohibit the practice, is rife on the street.
Primary six pupil Saniya, 10, said: “The cars outside the school stop to drop off and they leave their engines on – when cars leave their engines on, it lets off dangerous gases and it can make us feel really sick.”
Glasgow City Council recently launched a pilot ‘School Car Free Zone’ scheme around six primary schools in the city, with hopes to later expand the scheme.
A council spokesman said: “St Angela’s is working with the parent council and the junior road safety officers to reiterate key messages to irresponsible drivers who are ultimately putting the pupils at risk by parking inappropriately when dropping off and picking up around the school.”