School Crossing Patrollers Reinstated Under New SNP Administration

A number of School Crossing Patroller posts in Moray have been reinstated following action by the new SNP Administration just two weeks into office.

SNP Councillors had requested a report on School Crossing Patrollers be brought to a Special Council meeting this week and successfully won a debate to reinstate all Crossing Patrollers not on signalised crossings, meaning that the vast majority of School Crossing Patrol locations will remain, providing morning and afternoon cover.

Welcoming the decision SNP Councillor for Speyside Glenlivet, Louise Laing, who has been very vocal on the issue, said:

“I am delighted to have the majority of School Crossing Patrollers reinstated. The biggest issue with the most complaints that I deal with is the speed and volume of traffic coming through the towns in my ward.

“It may not be the council’s statutory obligation to get children to school but morally it’s an issue that’s important to both SNP group and the people we represent.

“There are many difficult decisions to make in the coming years but child safety has to be amongst our top priorities. We want to encourage our children to walk or cycle to school and be fit and active, but we also need them to be safe.”

SNP Councillor for Buckie, Sonya Warren, said:

“There has been huge concern from parents and the wider community about the loss of School Crossing Patrollers and we have always felt that this was a cut too far in the last Council budget.

“I am delighted that one of our earliest actions as the new Council Administration has been to get this issue back on the table and I am grateful for the support from other councillors who backed our proposal to reinstate the majority of the School Crossing Patroller sites, including a particularly busy location in Buckie that is set to get busier with the opening of the new early years facility at Lady Cathcart.

“We have already made significant progress towards what will be a challenging budget but the safety of children walking to school is an area we firmly believe must be protected.”