Pupils at risk as lollipop men and women reach end of road
CHILDREN are being put in danger because of the plummeting number of lollipop men and women near schools, campaigners warn.
There were 70,431 fewer patrols in February than in 2010, according to figures from the GMB union.
Some 31,188 were in lollipop posts at the start of this year, compared to 101,619 just over a decade ago.
The pandemic partly explains the savage toll – with the loss of 63,378 patrols in just one year. But the overall downward trend worries parents.
GMB national secretary Rehana Azam has called on the Government to ensure safety is not compromised now that all schools have returned.
She said: “Ministers must reinvest. Indications suggest thousands have been lost in the pandemic. Children have spent a long time not walking to and from school – anxiety is high.
“Being able to safely cross a road
can make or break a child’s day.” The number of lollipop workers had already been on a steady decline over the past decade due to council cuts.
Recruitment has been frozen in Bexley, Kent, with 17 of the authority’s 28 patrols vacant.
This includes Old Bexley Church of England primary school which is on a busy road with two major bus routes.
There have been numerous traffic accidents nearby – one even involving a former lollipop person – as well as adults and children.
Now 2,269 parents and residents have signed a petition calling for the recruitment of a new patrol.
Ruth Hookey, a former school employee, said: “The road is fast, busy and a bus route. Even a lollipop lady was knocked over.
“The school is large and the pathways are not wide enough at peak times to carry footfall traffic. A crossing is crucial to avoid potential injuries or, at its worst, death.We must protect our children always.” Headteacher Jill Ivil told parents in a letter that she has flagged up safety concerns with Bexley Council.
She wrote: “We have done everything we can.We have raised concerns with the council as well as our MP.”
GMB figures released to the Daily Express show the number of lollipop workers was already falling with 101,619 in 2010, dropping to 98,573 in 2016 and 94,566 in 2020.
Freedom of Information requests for how many new patrols councils employed also highlighted waning numbers. There were 7,128 across England, Scotland and Wales in 2009’10, dropping to 5,047 by 2017-’18.
The West Midlands and the North West lost 386 and 378 respectively, while Wales had 250 Scotland losing 163.
Richard Tucker of Rooster Insurance said: “Plummeting figures of lollipop people is concerning.
“Our research found 34 per cent of drivers using their mobile phones, for example. It shouldn’t be assumed that because someone is driving near a school, they will be safe or cautious.” fewer, with