Mind that child

YOUNG campaigner: Casey Devine and the traffic problems near Hey with Zion Primary School

A SAFETY-CONSCIOUS schoolgirl is urging action after almost being hit by a car on her way to school.

Casey Devine has decided to tackle traffic chaos outside her primary school because she says it’s “an accident waiting to happen.”

The 11-year-old wrote to the Chronicle and Oldham Council asking for the number of cars outside Hey with Zion Primary School to be monitored after she was a whisker away from being knocked over.

Her school is located next to adjoining St Edward’s Primary, on Rowland Way, Lees. At the start and end of the school day, a heavy build-up of traffic is leading to a worrying amount of near misses.

Cars of parents collecting or dropping off their children at the schools are struggling to pass each other, resulting in them mounting the pavement, putting the safety of dozens of schoolchildren in jeopardy.

Casey said: “The other children at my school are scared to try and cross over.

“We all stay really close to the bushes on the pavement because we’re worried the cars could hit us.”

Her grandmother, Verity Devine, said: “This has been a problem for some time, it’s just horrendous. Something needs to be done about it but the police and council just don’t seem to respond.”

Casey’s school has backed her appeal for help.

Councillor Jean Stretton, Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “I would like to thank Casey for reporting this incident and assure her that we have taken her concerns on board.

“Parking enforcement officers already visit the roads near the school and we will now increase the frequency of these visits.

“Clear parking restrictions are already in place around the school. However, it is evident that some irresponsible drivers choose to ignore them and put the safety of children at risk.

“The council urges parents to remember that when they pick up or drop off children from school, they have a responsibility to do so safely and considerately.

“We take a robust approach to anyone who ignores these restrictions and puts the safety of children at risk.

“The council is always looking to improve safety around our schools and when we identify individuals who flaunt these rules we will use our enforcement powers.

“We have recently invested in the latest technology in the form of a camera car which will soon be deployed to provide more effective coverage around schools and help us to catch more of the people who insist on abusing parking regulations and putting children at risk.”





This is what Casey wrote:
MY name is Casey Devine and I am eleven years old. I am a pupil attending Hey with Zion VC Primary School and would like to make a formal complaint about the traffic issues on Rowlands Way.

On the second of March, around twenty to four pm, I was on my way home, when I was faced with a big traffic jam, with cars trying to fit past each other when there was clearly no space. The cars started to mount the pavement. As I crossed over the junction between Rowlands Way and Medlock Way, a car mounted the pavement which I was on, and if I hadn’t turned around, I would have been knocked over.

In my opinion it’s an accident waiting to happen. And would urge you to do something about this reckless problem, before somebody is seriously hurt.

I plead for you to perhaps have some monitoring going on and some supervision especially with young children coming out from both schools.

Hey with Zion and St Edwards are built next to each other, this increases the risk of an accident because there is a lot of cars that are on Rowlands way in the morning and night. Please consider my concerns.


Yours faithfully,

CASEY