Over the last week or so I have been contacted by parents of children at Barnhill Primary School regarding the continued lack of school crossing patrols. Of particular concern is the crossing point on Balgillo Road at Falkland Crescent. I raised this with the director of the council’s education department, stressing the need for urgent action to be taken.
I have been advised by the officer who has responsibility for school crossing patrols that if any other patrollers become available he will try to cover this location for the last week of term. It is anticipated that the regular school crossing patroller will be in place for the first day of next term.
The council continues to advertise and interview for new school crossing patrollers and the expectation is that a recent recruitment exercise will result in all three points at Barnhill Primary School being fully staffed.
Those parents who contacted me also asked if the close proximity of the school could be highlighted to drivers and suggested part-time 20mph signage. I contacted the council’s head of transportation about this and is response he advised me that the current part-time 20mph signage locations were agreed with the police and they follow Scottish Government guidance which states that the 20 mph signage should be over as short a length of road as possible and must be on the school frontage. This is so drivers can associate the 20 mph limit with the school. Balgillo Road is remote from the school and it was considered unsuitable for part-time 20mph signage. However he is going to ask that appropriate signage is considered to support the school crossing patroller position.
