“Children’s safety must come first”

Greens highlight traffic danger at Sharrow Junior School.

“Children’s safety must come first” was the message from Green Party campaigners, who have been talking to parents at Sharrow School this week.

The action took place after parents from Sharrow Junior School, concerned for their children’s safety, contacted Councillor Alison Teal. As a result, several members of Nether Edge and Sharrow Green Party spent time talking to drivers over the course of several days, gently reminding them of the dangers to children of cars near the school.

Peter Garbutt, Green Party candidate in the May council elections, said:

“Parents were very pleased to see us,”

“Some questioned how they could do otherwise than drop their children off by car, and their frustration is plain to see. But the safety of the children must come first.”

“Getting children to school in the morning can be an event fraught with difficulties, matched only by picking them up again in the afternoon.”

“Many parents take their children to school in the car because of fears of other dangers on the streets. Unfortunately, this leads to huge congestion outside schools before lessons start and after they’ve finished. The risk of a young child being hit by a car is very great at this time.”

The warnings earlier in the week were proved right when a near miss took place on Thursday 10th January. The group returned on Thursday evening, with Councillor Alison Teal saying,

“We were shocked to hear a young girl had had a near miss in the morning,”

“It really brings it home to you just how dangerous the situation is.

We’re so thankful the girl is unharmed.”

This same danger exists at almost every school in Sheffield. Sheffield Green Party appeals to all drivers to think how they can make the journey to and from school safer for their children and others.