Primary school road speed fears
Thursday, 16 October 2008
The signs erected by parents outside Garryduff PS which asks motorists to think about the speed they are travelling at. The parents are calling for a lower speed limit on the stretch of road outside the rural PS.
THE PARENTS and family members of Garryduff Primary School pupils have put up speed warning signs to get motorists to slow down as concerns increase about the speed limit on the main Garryduff Road where the PS is situated.
The Chronicle was contacted by a number of irate parents who voiced concerns for the safety of their children during school drop off and pick up times. At the minute the only nod in the direction of safety is two flashing signs which come on for the morning drop off and the evening pickups. The actual problem, the parents say, is that there is no lower speed limit outside the school, which means passing cars are legally driving at 60 mph.
This week, with tensions high regarding speeding traffic, parents took the matter into their own hands, working together they erected signs on each side of the road pleading with motorists to "Kill your speed, not our children" in bright red red lettering, visible to all even on wet dull mornings.
One parent who didn't want to be named said: "The traffic on the Garryduff road is abysmal. The speed the cars drive at is petrifying and they don't slow down at all. They are local people who know the school is there but obviously don't care enough to slow down. Even when we drop the children off we can't get a break in traffic to crawl out into the road to turn, and then when we do we still have to turn in someone's driveway or at a road end, it's very dangerous and we know that, but there's nowhere else we can turn. Something needs to be done before a child is killed on that road."
The parent stressed that it is through no fault of the school that the problem is still an issue as they do their best to introduce road safety and encourage the pupils to be careful.
The parent continued: "The traffic is increased when the main line is shut and as the Garryduff Road is a long straight road the traffic doesn't slow down. The abuse myself and other parents have to endure when leaving our children at school is awful. It's like running the gauntlet on each school run and is nothing but a trauma. Motorists driving past will beep their horns at us, give us rude hand signals, rev their engines, that's just a few things they do. There isn't a large car park at the school so they operate a 'drop and drive' policy where we drop our children and drive on. It's very difficult to drive off knowing our children could step out, especially if they are P1 or P2 age groups.
“All it takes is a forgotten lunch box or coat for our children to step out after the car and be knocked down. It's so very dangerous, especially when the traffic isn't slowing down. Something needs to be done about this, all we are asking for is a lowered speed limit which is being tried out at other primary schools in the area at the minute."
The parent added that she had approached her local council representatives regarding this matter and they have promised to raise it at the next available opportunity.
The Chronicle was contacted by MLA Mervyn Storey's office who said: "We have contacted the Education Board who have said they are in the process of vesting the land beside the school. In the mean time we will continue to work for safer conditions for both Garryduff PS and Carrowreagh PS." In relation to land vesting at Garryduff PS for car parking the Board's statement reads: "The North Eastern Board is exploring with the Department of Education the possibility of acquiring the land by compulsory purchase."
Cllr Anita Cavlan (Sinn Fein) said she also had been in touch with Roads Service and discussed the need for additional car parking as the lack of parking is having an effect on the rural school. She added: "It is a shame that the Education Board couldn't acquire the land without needing to vest it, but now that that process has been set in motion other ways of keeping safe should be looked at. Drivers must have a responsibility to slow down when passing rural schools and schools at the road side. Parents must also take responsibility as they tend to have a habit of double parking and there is a higher risk of accidents when motorists have to manoeuvre past double parked cars."
Mr Jackson Minford from the traffic section of the D.O.E in Ballymena said: "The Roads Service have been working closely with the Education Board and we have agreed plans for car parking facilities at Garryduff PS. The problem has always been and remains to be land acquisition. We support the library board in these plans and have erected flashing signs outside Garryduff PS on each side of the road.
“These lights flash on and off at the busiest times of each morning and afternoon. The lights are an effort to warn motorists of the presence of children and advise them to slow down. We have implemented two pilot schemes, one of which is in Ballymoney. Obviously this will give some idea of how it will help to calm the traffic.
“The parents dropping their children off tend to park as close to the school as they can, which is not ideal. We have recently provided a link at Garryduff PS where there is car parking space beside the church and a footpath leading from that space to the school. This is a two minute walk and takes the children away from potential hazards. It is also much safer and healthier for children to have a short walk in the morning. Whilst I do accept this is not always possible and people may not want to do it on a wet morning it is a much safer alternative to use whilst the car park is being built."
A Road Safety pilot project is taking place at Kilmoyle PS at the minute. The new 20 mph speed limit at at the B67 Benvarden Road is costing £50,000 per lighting kit as it's a small scheme. The unit cost of implementing these across the board at all rural schools would be much less. It was suggested that Kilmoyle PS was chosen to take part in the pilot scheme because of the number of complaints about traffic speeding outside the school. The pilot scheme will run until June 2010 and the police have said that any motorist caught driving above the part-time speed limit will face prosecution in the normal way.
