Campaigning for school crossings

A mum of three from Lincoln is calling for pedestrian crossings outside every school in Britain.

Rosanne Kirk, 39, has already begun a campaign for crossings at all schools in Lincoln.

Now she is trying to make it law for every local council nationally to install crossings near schools.

She has launched an online petition at www.kidsxsafely.org.uk and the campaign is being followed on the computer messaging service Twitter by Education Secretary Ed Balls and Prime Minister Gordon Brown's wife Sarah.

Ms Kirk, a parent governor at St Hugh's Primary School, in Woodfield Avenue, Doddington Park, believes that existing measures including 20mph advisory speed limits near schools are not working.

"At St Hugh's we have a 20mph limit and zig-zag road markings but you still get cars parking on them," she said.

"Cars often do 30-40mph along Woodfield Avenue where there are four schools.

"We had a lollipop lady who went on maternity leave and they cannot fill the vacancy.

"I think every school in the country should have a pedestrian crossing in the interests of safety and encouraging more children to walk to school.

"However, I've been told that you can't have a 20mph limit and a crossing so I would like to get a law brought in at a national level to make crossings compulsory.

"The cost of powering crossings with lights could be offset by the use of solar energy or wind power."

The cost of installing pedestrian crossings at all 360 schools in Lincolnshire would cost in excess of £7 million, the county council estimates.

For the council's rules on crossings, see Saturday's Echo.