Calls for lollipop person at ‘dangerous’ Glasgow junction to be given ‘further attention’

Mum-of-two Linda Tait urged the council to reconsider after her petition to make the junction of Crow Road at Whittingehame Drive safer for school children amassed almost 1500 signatures.

Next steps

Now councillors want the issue to be given further attention, with more community engagement to be carried out.

They have also asked for feedback on the installation of a half yellow box on Crow Road, to deter queuing traffic blocking Whittingehame Drive, from Police Scotland.

Council officers did not recommend a new school crossing patroller even though a pedestrian survey found the location meets the criteria for a lollipop service.

They said a council policy “not to establish a new school crossing patrol where there is a light controlled pedestrian crossing” supersedes the findings.

Junction problems

But Ms Tait (47) told councillors about “very poor driver behaviour” at the junction.

“Daily we see red-light jumpers, we see speedsters, we see drivers blocking the crossing,” she said.

“Three weeks ago my daughter and her friends coming home from school had to dodge vehicles blocking the crossing again. Suddenly a car moves and if they hadn’t jumped out of the way they would have been knocked to the ground.

“Drivers do not leave the house in the morning with the intention of hitting a child, we need a school crossing patroller to remind them that this is a main school route for five schools.”

However, a council officer said: “Our officers have used their engineering judgement and observations on site to determine a school crossing patrol still isn’t warranted at this moment in time.”

‘Do the right thing’

Cllr Maggie McTernan said the policy on school crossing patrols appeared to show “discretion in exceptional circumstances”.

She added Crow Road is “a major west of Scotland traffic route leading in and out of the Clyde Tunnel” which “in itself tips it out of the ordinary road with a pedestrian crossing into something that is exceptional circumstances”.

“There are parents who drive their kids to school because they are scared of crossing that road, and that is absolutely counter to what we want in terms of our culture of active travel,” she said.

Cllr Bill Butler added: “Isn’t it overriding that there are 1500 local people who have signed this petition? How much more overwhelming do you wish the argument locally to be?

“Be pragmatic, listen to what people are saying and do the right thing.”

The council officer told the wellbeing, empowerment, community and citizen engagement city policy committee that Police Scotland would carry out enforcement of the yellow box.

He said: “What I would be suggesting is to see if the enforcement of the box junction is successful or not. If it proves to be successful then people will not be jumping through the red light.”

The officer added if the move isn’t successful, the issue can be looked at again.

Councillors decided to refer the petition to the environment committee and for further engagement to be carried out with nearby schools, including parents and community councils.

They also want Police Scotland to give feedback on enforcement around the yellow box and the levels of compliance from drivers.