The council has put the brakes on parents’ efforts to curb driver speed near a Perthshire primary school.
Enterprising parents of children who attend Murthly Primary banded together to buy two brightly-coloured warning signs which had the desired effect but fell foul of the council, which ordered that they be removed.
Parents want to walk their children to school but were concerned that the high-speed route and narrow pavements made it too dangerous.
Mother Caroline Buchanan, 35, said of the decision: “We can’t believe the council has done this. They say the signs are illegal.
“The school has a travel group involving parents and we have paid for this ourselves. The council quoted us £2,000 for signs which are too small but we did it for £150 and put the signs up after Easter.
“They’ve have had an immediate effect people are slowing down and giving parents and children extra room. We’ve also had people in the village say it’s a good idea.
“The council won’t pay for a school crossing patrol because not enough people walk; perhaps if we had the road safety measures more people would.
“The sign they put up saying ‘schoolchildren’ is smaller than the one that says ‘watch out for deer’. We just go round in circles with the council.”
The parents had placed one sign facing in one direction and one in the other.
She added: “We’ve been told to remove the signs ourselves. We’ve had a couple of accidents in the vicinity of the school this year, which might not necessarily be caused by speed but it shows that something has to be done.
“It’s not entirely the drivers’ fault. The school is at the top of a hill and they can’t see up until they are right upon it. That’s why we wanted the big, visible signs.”
She said that the council has looked at other options surrounding road safety, with police officers also recording motorists driving at excessive speed past the school entrance.
Another concerned mum, who did not want to be identified, said: “I’ve been in Murthly for 17 years and this was a problem even then.
“We want to walk our children to school, we want to give our children a healthy start but at times it is just too risky. If you’re pushing a pram or walking a dog with your child, there’s no room on the pavement.”
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns that parents with children at Murthly Primary School have regarding road safety and vehicle speeds in the vicinity of the school. However, only signs that are in accordance with national regulations are allowed within the road boundary. The signs put up on the verge were not in compliance with those regulations.
“Murthly Primary School is located on the B9099, within a part-time mandatory 20mph speed limit. As a council, we have already put in place road signs advising motorists of the speed limit and the presence of children, along with flashing warning beacons.
“There are also advance warning signs for the school on the road, similar to arrangements for another primary school nearby.
“Additional hazard warning and ‘pedestrians crossing’ signs have also recently been put in on the B9099, to provide a further reminder for drivers to slow down around the school and be aware of children crossing.
“We will keep the road safety situation in this location under review.”