School to lose crossing patrol
Parents at St Columbkille’s Primary in Rutherglen have hit out after learning they would be losing their crossing patroller.
South Lanarkshire Council are cutting six patrollers across Rutherglen and Cambuslang as part of their savings package.
Furious parents say the removal of school crossing patrollers outside Rutherglen primary schools is an “accident waiting to happen”.
Parents of children attending St. Columbkille’s Primary have vowed to fight South Lanarkshire Council’s decision to remove lollipop men and women from five roads in Rutherglen and a sixth in Cambuslang.
Although the local authority says it has completed risk assessments at the proposed locations, parents say their children’s safety is being put at risk.
Nicola Bourns said: “As a mother of four children who all attend this school, I am disgusted that this post has been removed.
“Anyone who has tried to cross this part of the road at either 9am or 3pm will know just how dangerous this road is. The traffic here is coming down Parkhill Drive, crossing over from Melrose Avenue and turning in both directions from Stonelaw Road. You have to be looking in all four directions. “This is an accident waiting to happen.” Sharon MacIntyre’s son Gregor is in primary six at St Columbkille’s, which earlier this year closed the school gates to cars because of irresponsible parking.
Explaining the school has actively been promoting walking to school, Sharon said: “There haven’t been any accidents on that street and the reason for that is because there is a patroller there. It’s only a matter of time before some child is hurt.
“One of the main things that got us angry is this notice was put out on the last day of school as the kids were breaking up for two weeks. This has been presented as a fait accompli, that these people are out of a job and won’t be there when the kids come back. I’m not aware of any consultation with parents, nor are any of my friends.
“The council have tried to sneak it by without people noticing, that was very obvious in the way they put the letter out.”
Patrick Carroll’s nine- year- old son uses the school crossing patrol when he is collected by his grandparents at the end of the school day.
Patrick, who saw one of his best friends knocked down whilst at school, said: “What the council has done is absolutely disgusting, taking away what is a lifeline to some people.
“I would like to know when the risk assessments were done on this. I would question whether the risk assessment was done in the interest of the children or the interest of saving money.”
A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said it had been forced to reduce school patrols because of financial pressures and that all saving proposals were outlined in the leaflet sent to households in South Lanarkshire as part of the budget setting process.
He said: “These patrollers covered predominantly secondary school routes and risk assessments were undertaken towards the latter part of 2015, both in the morning and afternoon periods, to ensure that the roads could still be crossed safely provided that reasonable care is taken and that children were accompanied by an adult if required.
“School communities, including patrollers and parents, were advised of the changes directly. Patrollers affected by these proposals would have either been planning to retire or are to be redeployed to other locations or positions across the council.”
Other locations to lose their school patrols include: Calderwood Road and Greystone Avenue; Calderwood Road and Dryburgh Avenue; Greystone Avenue and Underwood Road; Hamilton Road and McCallum Avenue; Dukes Road and Hawthorn Walk.