Pupils appeal for promised new crossing outside school

Pupils appeal for promised new crossing outside school

8 January 2025

PUPILS at a local primary school who began a road safety campaign one year ago are disappointed that no action has been taken to implement a promised new crossing.

P6 pupils at Ballynahinch Primary School initiated their ‘Fast and Furious’ campaign after repeated near accidents on the Dromore Road outside the school. 

In November this year, the school won the Primary School category for ‘Best Road Safety Campaign’ at the Northern Ireland Road Safety Awards.

The campaign got into full swing almost a year ago when a local councillor visited the school on behalf of local elected representatives to receive letters from the pupils and to give the class information about what their campaign could achieve.

DUP councillor Callum Bowsie then initiated an assessment for a crossing to be implemented.

A year on, he has asked for a review into the decision not to install the crossing before the end of this financial year.

He said: “When I visited the class last year I was pleased to advise that DfI had agreed to carry out an assessment crossing patrol.

“The pupils were thrilled when they realised their action had had a direct impact on the course of action DfI Roads were now taking.

“However, a year on no physical progress has been seen, so I share the pupils’ disappointment.”

He continued: “Since the school’s campaign, two secondary schools in Ballynahinch have had new pedestrian crossings provided.

The primary school has no pedestrian crossing anywhere along the side of the road, so pupils don’t even have the option of walking a little further to get to a pedestrian crossing.

Cllr Bowsie said he had been advised by the DfI that a crossing outside Ballynahinch Primary School does meet the criteria, but does not score highly enough to be implemented under the current budget. 

He added: “I have made DfI aware of the seriousness of the risk posed at this busy road outside a local primary school and have asked for its current scoring to be reviewed.

“While I am somewhat hopeful the crossing will be installed within the next financial year, the school needs certainty as to how long their primary and nursery school pupils are going to be exposed to this hazard.”