School’s plea for zebra crossing at busy road
A PRIMARY school is desperate for a zebra crossing to be installed on the ‘chaotic’ road outside.
St Stephen’s CE Primary School has launched the petition after a staff member was involved in a serious incident when crossing the road in September.
Bosses say they fear a child will be the next to be hurt – or even killed.
Headteacher John Shelton told the Manchester Evening News: “We’re calling for at least a zebra crossing, maybe with Belisha beacons, maybe floodlit, so people can see it properly at night.
“A staff member has been severely impacted by this road and the way that drivers aren’t aware of the fact that there is a school here. It could have been much, much worse.
“I don’t want to be the headteacher that has to report a very serious accident or even the death of one of my students for our council to do something definitively to make the road safer outside our school.”
The Audenshaw Road school is a few minutes away from the M60 motorway. Motorists leaving the M60 to get to Ashtonunder-Lyne use the A6140 junction, which leads to the school.
At peak time hours, Audenshaw Road becomes very congested, with two lanes of traffic forming outside the school, Mr Shelton said.
The busiest times are from 8am to 9am and from 3pm to 4pm.
Outside the school, there is a central island crossing, which is part of the problem, the school says.
Mr Shelton added: “Several parents have reported instances of where they’ve had to pull children back from the road, because of the busy traffic.”
The school has offered to fundraise to meet part of the costs of installing a zebra crossing.
A Tameside council spokesperson said: “We understand the school’s concerns and want to work with the school to look at what interventions are possible at this location to improve road safety.”
I don’t want to be the headteacher that has to report... the death of one of my students
St Stephen’s CE Primary headteacher John Shelton