Safety demand after Shrewsbury pupils hit by cars
A petition has been launched to curb speeding drivers in Shrewsbury after two children were hit by cars near to their schools.
The accidents took place in the last two weeks - the first when an 11-year-old was knocked off his bike on Ditherington Road and the second when an eight-year-old boy was hit by a car as he crossed the road outside his school on New Park Road.
Now the headteachers of the Martin Wilson School in Castlefields and Shrewsbury Catholic Cathedral School have launched a petition calling for increased road safety outside both their schools.
Both headteachers last week met Councillor Alan Mosley who represents the Castlefields and Ditherington ward on Shropshire Council, to tell him of their concerns.
Shropshire Council had earmarked the New Park Road/Sultan Road area of Castlefields as one where speed awareness measures would be made. But it was announced in April that both works would be deferred due to cuts in capital transport budget until 2020/21.
The headteacher of the Martin Wilson School, David Purslow, said there had been steady campaign to improve safety measures in the area but the need for these had been highlighted in recent weeks.
Frustrated
He said: "This is a residential area with two schools. People should be aware that there will be children around. The road is often used as a cut through to town if St Michael's Street is busy and it is not always obvious that there are schools nearby.
"At the end of the school day drivers can get frustrated with parents who have parked close to the school for pick-up.
"My school is on the corner of the road and that is where there is a natural crossing point. It is an education issue for us. We tell the children the Green Cross Code and we also give them cycling lessons in year six. But we also need to educate those who use the road.
"We would like signs along the road to let people know there is a school. We do need some more signage and we are looking in to the possibility of sponsorship for this.
"We need drivers to calm down and realise this is not a race track. It is a busy place and a busy community.
"Both areas were identified in Shropshire Council’s integrated transport scheme as in need of improvement to enhance safety but that was shelved. But we need people to slow down now - it's about saving lives."
Steve Brown, Shropshire Council’s head of highways and environmental maintenance, said: “We are contacting the schools to understand what the issues are, and how and where they were caused.
“Our position is that where there have been accidents, accident clusters or worse for road traffic accidents, we look at these in conjunction with the Safer Roads Partnership run by West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police to discuss any action.”
