The Gunnedah Public School Parents and Citizens (P&C) has enlisted the help of Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson to appoint a crossing supervisor for the school’s Bloomfield Street entrance.
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Currently Bloomfield Street is a 40 km/h zone between 8am and 9.30am, and 2.30pm and 4pm on school days, but does not have a crossing guard to assist students in crossing the street.
Gunnedah Public School P&C president Julie Warren said the group needed Mr Anderson’s help getting a crossing supervisor.
“The south school and Gunnedah High School both have people but our school doesn’t,” Ms Warren said.
“For at least five years since I’ve been on the committee, we have been trying to get a crossing guard so fingers crossed we can make something happen to make it safer.”
Ms Warren said it wasn’t just trucks and cars that were a concern to parents.
“It’s not just that, there is quite a lot of farm machinery that comes through here as well,” she said.
“It’s hard to imagine a big truck being able to break in time if there is a child on the road.”
The P&C president said teachers do keep an eye on students near the road.
“Teachers are quite often out here with the children and at times they haven’t been given way to either,” she said.
“I think having somebody here to help kids cross the road just makes sense.”
Mr Anderson said road safety around schools is very important.
“It is important to make school crossings safer,” Mr Anderson said.
“We need to know that parents feel comfortable in the mornings and afternoons that there is someone to supervise their kids crossing this very busy Bloomfield Street that is the designated bypass for heavy vehicles through Gunnedah.”
Mr Anderson said he will help the P&C in their efforts to get a crossing supervisor.
“I’m backing the Gunnedah Public School P&C on this,” Mr Anderson
“I would like to get some answers on why we don’t have a supervisor during the school hours and what do we need to do to get one to make it safe for kids crossing the road.
“I will go to council and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to first get some data and to see if they have done some studies and if they haven’t, we can do some traffic studies to work out what we need to do to get a crossing supervisor here.”