Fears that children’s lives are being put at risk at a busy school crossing in Dundee have been flatly rejected by education bosses.
City officials have refused to introduce a lollipop person at Hebrides Drive despite admitting that their own planning blunder was responsible for creating the dangerous rat-run.
Dozens of Mill o’ Mains primary pupils run a daily gauntlet at the busy junction near Lewis Terrace.
Despite commuters regularly racing along Hebrides Drive to avoid traffic lights on Forfar Road, the council claim the number of cars is still too low to justify increased safety measures.
Councillor Brian Gordon said: “I think it is completely crazy that they are going on numbers. Even if it was just one child crossing we should have a traffic controller stationed.
Due to the works near Lewis Terrace there isn’t even a pavement for the children to run to.
“Something might happen, but by then it will be too late,” added Mr Gordon.
He said he would be writing to the council’s chief executive, David Martin, to demand he intervenes personally in the “dangerous” and “unbelievable” situation.
In an email provided to The Courier, Diana Weir, a finance officer with the education department, said: “I can confirm that this site (Hebrides Drive) has been surveyed on Thursday April 23 and although there has been an increase in the level of vehicles due to road changes, it is still below the threshold for appointing a school crossing patroller.”
Parents canvassed said the crossing desperately needed additional safety measures installed.
Shaun Anderson, 27, said: “Cars, buses, even dump trucks, come along here and there’s absolutely nowhere for the children to safely cross.
“Just the other day we had a near miss ourselves. Myself and the bairns could have been wiped out.”
Matthew Watson, 21, said he and his girlfriend have also regularly complained about the state of the junction.
The council decided last year not to replace a lollipop person at the crossing.