Schools welcome new road safety measures

Northwood Park Primary School said pupils, including Pippa, Erin and Peter, felt safer as a result of the new crossing

Measures to improve road safety for pupils around two Wolverhampton schools have been welcomed by staff.

Improvements have been made on Bushbury Lane and Collingwood Road, near Bushbury Nursery School and Northwood Park Primary School, the city council said.

A new zebra crossing has been installed on Bushbury Lane; a pedestrian refuge in Collingwood Road, and there are also upgraded signs and road markings, flashing 20mph limit signs and school zone markings.

Heidi Bullock, head at Bushbury Nursery School, said more than 100 of the most vulnerable children within the community were taught at the school and the new crossing would "significantly improve safety for them and their families".

And Alexandra Giles, assistant head teacher at Northwood Park Primary School, said: "We are pleased that the road safety measures have been added around school and look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our pupils and community.

"Our children are also designing road safety posters to be displayed outside school and the winner will receive a brand new scooter."

All existing road markings in the vicinity of the two schools have been refreshed and bollards introduced to prevent dangerous parking and improve pedestrian routes and visibility, the council said.

To help enforce school "keep clear" zones the council's Mobile Enforcement Vehicle (MEV) has been upgraded with high-definition cameras and will be patrolling outside schools at peak times.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for city transport, said: "It is wonderful to see another one of our Safer Routes to School projects completed making it easier and more attractive for children and their families to walk or cycle to school, encouraging healthy lifestyles and improving air quality."

He said hundreds of pupils across the city had benefited from the schemes, and more were planned this year, funded through its highways capital programme.