KOOTINGAL parents are banding together to improve safety outside of the town’s primary school, petitioning for more safety features at the children’s crossing to prevent an accident.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mother Sallie Vernon has started a petition calling for a few simple measures to improve safety at drop-off and pick-up times, and she has already garnered the signatures of nearly 150 locals.
Ms Vernon has three daughters attending Kootingal Public School and she’d like to see a pedestrian island added to the middle to the road and lines repainted to remind motorists they’re in a school zone.
The concerned parent saw her daughter have a near miss on the crossing and was spurred on to start her petition as similar stories from other parents came to light.
“I thought now it’s really time to push and get something done,” Ms Vernon said.
Fellow Kootingal mother Tarsh Melder said she’s had ongoing issues at the crossing with her daughter Kahliah.
“[On Monday] we were coming across the crossing and a ute had to slam on its brakes and got on to the crossing – Kahliah had to run off the road,” she said.
“It’s not the first time it’s happened to her.
“We’ve only been here this term and it has happened about six times.”
Ms Vernon has distributed the petition to the Kootingal IGA, chemist, post office hardware store, the school’s front office and online.
She said there had been a very positive response from the community, picking up 141 signatures in the first few days. The mother said she would keep the petition open for two weeks before sending it off to local politicians.