Chirnside Primary School has been taking part in a School Travel Plan project. The travel plan aims to improve road safety on the school journey; improve pedestrian safety in and around the school; encourage alternative modes of travel to the car and improve the local environment by reducing pollution, congestion and road danger.
The school safety team, which meets regularly to take the project forward, consists of representatives from the local community council, teachers, staff, parents, road safety/engineering staff from Scottish Borders Council and Lothian and Borders Police Road Safety Unit. It is supported by Councillor Fullarton the elected member for Chirnside and District.
Parents at the school were surveyed to establish how children
currently travel to and from school. 73% of parents responded to the
survey. Currently 48% of children walk to school, 35% are driven and 17%
get the school bus. When asked their preferences, 56% of parents opted
for walking, 18% prefer the school bus, 16% wish to use the car, 5%
would let their children cycle to school and 5% would choose public
transport.
Jenny Bagnall, the council's School Travel Co-ordinator, who is
co-ordinating the development of the school travel plan said "The survey
results highlight a potential to increase walking at Chirnside Primary
School by up to 8% and reduce car use by up to 19%. This is really
positive and the School Safety Team can now take a look at what can be
done to encourage a change in travel habits."
The survey also gave parents the opportunity to highlight their areas of concern on the journey to school. Top of the list was crossing the Crosshill, followed by speeding and dog fouling on the path networks leading to the school. As a result of these concerns, speed-activated signs on the A6105 outside the front of the school were installed to reduce the speed of the traffic and a flat-topped speed hump on the Crosshill to help to reduce the speed of traffic and offer children a safer place to cross, is in place.
