Use service for benefit questions says MSP
A package of road safety measures looks set to be introduced at a Rutherglen school where a child was knocked down and injured last year.
Rebekah Reilly was hit by a Range Rover as she made her way to St Columbkille’s Primary School on December 5 when she sustained a serious cut to her forehead and bruising to the left side of her body.
The 10-year-old was struck by the car in the exact spot where the council had axed the school crossing patroller months earlier.
Now South Lanarkshire Council has agreed to look at a number of road safety proposals including a change to the pedestrian route from Parkhill Drive to the entrance of the school - where Rebekah’s accident took place.
Gordon Mackay, head of South Lanarkshire Council’s roads and transportation services, said: “Our officers met with the head teacher and chairwoman of the parent council on Monday to discuss various matters that were raised through their school travel plan.
“It was agreed that a number of measures are to be considered, one of which is to alter the pedestrian links to the school from Parkhill Drive to the school entrance.
“Measures such as a build- out arrangement to give pedestrians a crossing point free from parked cars, guardrail provision as well as refurbishing existing yellow line road markings were discussed.
“Also, the school is considering options for promoting various initiatives to coincide with any future works.
“These include asking parents and pupils to use any new crossing point as well as continuing with campaigns such as Park Smart, Park and Stride and Walking Buses.
“A package of measures will be developed in the coming weeks to allow these to be fully considered by the head teacher and parent council.”
The Reformer understands the proposals will be discussed at the next meeting of the parent council in May.
The parent council had, before its meeting on Monday, asked parents to submit details of incidents where they have seen the children’s safety put at risk on their walk to school. This included inconsiderate parking by other parents and the flow of traffic on Stonelaw Road and Parkhill Drive. Clare Haughey MSP is urging deaf people in Rutherglen who have queries about benefits decisions to use a charity’s welfare rights advocacy service.
The service, which is run by the charity Action on Hearing Loss Scotland, can provide people who are deaf or have hearing loss – including British Sign Language ( BSL) users – with information, advice and, where possible, formal representation to challenge benefits decisions.
Ms Haughey said: “I’m pleased to support Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s welfare rights advocacy service which provides valuable advice and reassurance for deaf or hard of hearing people who are concerned or confused about their social security benefits.
“I encourage people in Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Blantyre who are deaf or have hearing loss to contact the service if you would like to be better informed about the support you may be entitled to.”
For information about Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s social security advice service, call telephone: 0141 341 5346, textphone: 0141 341 5350, email: SocialSecurity@ hearingloss. org. uk or visit www. hearingloss. org. uk/ SocialSecurity. British Sign Language users can contact via the ContactSCOTLAND-BSL service.