Call for traffic crossing at school
A community council in Livingston is calling for a crossing to be installed outside a local primary school.
Eliburn Community Council has submitted a petition for a zebra crossing at Peel Primary School over traffic fears.
The community council worked closely with the parent teacher association at the school to develop the petition, which has over 350 signatures so far.
Both the community council and the parent teacher association managed to get a footpath installed a few years back using the town centre development fund.
But parents of pupils at the school have found in the years since the footpath installation that the road safety measures in place aren’t efficient enough.
The only entrance to Peel Primary School for pupils and parents in working hours is through the main entrance on Garden Place.
Garden Place has both speed bumps to slow traffic and a dropped kerb to allow for pedestrian crossings, but the community council claims that the road is unsafe, reporting several near misses with children crossing the road into traffic.
Stephen Egan, chair of Eliburn Community Council, spoke about the conditions on the road.
He said: “While the pavement and speed bumps are well used, the parent teacher association is still reporting near misses of their children on the road.
“It can be a very busy road, especially around the time school is getting in or out - and with before and after school clubs in the dark months, it can get really dangerous.
“We’ve asked the council if it would be possible to get a zebra crossing installed, but they’ve said they can’t do anything about it until there’s been an accident.”
The petition asks the council to install a zebra crossing, which under the Highway Code, means drivers and riders must give way to pedestrians.
Stephen continued: “I don’t think I would be able to live with myself if anyone were to be maimed or killed on that road and I hadn’t tried to do anything - hence the petition.
“It just seems like the council are playing fast and loose with people’s lives here in Eliburn.”
A West Lothian Council spokesperson said measures have already been put in place to tackle traffic isues but said the local authority will consider the petition in the usual way.
He added: “Officers worked in consultation with the community regarding the recent installation of a new footpath in this area which included appropriate pedestrian dropped kerbs to assist when crossing the road.
“There is also existing road cushion traffic calming features in the immediate vicinity of the road crossing points and the area is covered by a mandatory 20mph school area zone with school crossing warning signs are also visible on all approaches.
“We understand there is concern among some members of the local community regarding driver behaviour in the area, and any serious issues with driving or parking should be reported to Police Scotland.
“Should a petition be formally submitted to the council then this will go through the agreed council procedures that are in place to allow petitions to be fully considered.”