Parents have been left bemused and worried after the use of lollipops was banned from crossing patrols. A new rule introduced by a council in Dundee means the workers near two primary schools can no longer use the traditional long sticks to halt traffic.
Officials, taking guidance from a national road safety charity, believe the lollipops could confuse drivers because there are also traffic lights located at the crossings. Instead, the high-vis clad patrollers must press the button on the pelican crossings, “muster” the children, and then walk them part way across the road without their stop sign.
But they are not allowed to personally stop traffic and must be ready to return to the kerb when more children arrive, meaning youngsters could be left unaccompanied for part of the crossing. One parent, Graham Lickford, says the lollipop man at Ancrum Road, Sandy Bullions, does a brilliant job but fears the decision makes his role harder.
And when he explained the situation to his kids, he says they were left confused. “They think it’s silly as well that a lollipop man can’t have his lollipop stick,” he said.
“On a number of occasions, I’ve witnessed Sandy stop cars jumping the lights — with his stick — holding kids back from running on to the road. So, it’s just ridiculous that they’re even contemplating removing them from this crossing,” he added.
Sandy agreed and said the use of the lollipop stick is vital. “I’m scared for the children coming out because it was like a barrier for me to keep the children behind (the stick) – as we were trained to do,” he said.
“There is a way of using it and now I’m not allowed to cross the road with the children, which is crazy. Every lollipop man’s had a stick to get children across the road to stop the traffic. The traffic sees the big stick, surely.
“I was a driver with the Royal Mail for 30 years… I know road safety,” he added. The decision affects a route to Ancrum Road Primary, near Lochee Park, and Blackness Primary in the city’s West End.
The issue is rooted in a traffic signalling “conflict” under road safety guidelines drawn up by The Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). West End Councillor, Fraser Macpherson, said the guidelines indicated “a school crossing patroller at a pedestrian crossing should be avoided”.
He explained that the guidelines said if traffic signals turned green when a patroller was on the road while signalling “Stop Children”, it sent conflicting signals to drivers. The move was a compromise after a proposal to scrap lollipop crossing patrols altogether at three crossings where there were traffic lights.
Fiona Mack, chair of the Ancrum Parent Council, said: “It’s based on a risk assessment, I think, from Tayside Contracts and Dundee City Council. There is a conflict for the drivers – between the stick and the lights. They can’t have the two things in the one place, according to the risk assessment.
“We’ve yet to see the risk assessment. We asked for a copy of it; but we’ve not seen it.”
Laura Black, a single mother, also believes the move is unsafe. She said: “I really rely on Sandy. Especially for the safety of my daughter. I’ve seen five cars, at least, going through the red lights and Sandy had to stop multiple children from crossing the road, even though it was on the green man. It (a lollipop sign) is definitely needed.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The two schools have communicated directly with parents about these issues.”
