Richard Hall, Road Safety GB’s school crossing patrol (SCP) specialist, has been quoted in a Saga magazine article titled ‘School crossings: Let’s not lose our lollipop people’.
Speaking about cuts to SCP services, Richard Hall said: “The form the cuts take can vary.
“For example, patrols that retire may not be replaced, or patrols are removed from sites where there are light-controlled crossings and so on.
“Increasingly schools are urged to find ways of funding the service but they are understandably reluctant to do so as it will mean their budget for education is depleted.”
Richard added: “Studies have shown that children who use the roads actively by walking to school with carers develop better road safety skills than those who are driven, because whilst walking the adults teach how to deal with traffic as a pedestrian by example.
“That means that when they travel to school and elsewhere independently as teenagers they will be better able to keep themselves safe.”
Talking about campaigns to save SCPs, Richard said: “People power can make a difference at a local level.
“Councillors know that the people involved in the campaign are their constituents and they face losing votes if they upset them by cutting patrols. It’s a front-line service protecting vulnerable road users and as such should be treated with the importance it deserves.
“And even if a campaign doesn’t fully succeed in the sense that the SCP is retained, it can prompt changes such as the installation of a zebra or pelican crossing at certain sites.”
Click here to read the full Saga feature.
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