Parents of children at a Lisburn primary school took to the streets outside the Education Authority to protest a decision to remove a crossing guard at the school.
St Aloysius PS used to have a dedicated lollipop lady who would help the children cross the busy stretch of the Ballinderry Road, but she recently retired and has not been replaced.
Parents joined together outside the EANI building on Academy Street in Belfast on Wednesday to show their displeasure with the ongoing situation.
Read more: Lisburn primary school parents fear children could be killed on "dangerous" road
Alex Cunningham was among the parents who attended the protest and said she was concerned that a solution would only be found when it was too late.
"It's just so, so dangerous - there is an MOT testing centre at the end of the road, you're heading into a main street in Lisburn at the other end of the road," she told Belfast Live.
"There's an industrial estate, there's all kinds of traffic, lorries, buses, everything coming down that road.
"It's completely unsafe, there's not one safe spot to cross and because the two schools are there, there's a big stretch of the road now where there's children coming from all directions, behind cars, behind lorries."
She added that the fact the road is so busy and has two schools on it should be a red flag for anyone in authority.
"People are not taking that into consideration and somebody is going to get hurt," she said.
"That's the major concern, somebody is going to get hurt or worse and obviously we don't want it to be any of our children.
"The crossing guard was brilliant, we just need somebody back in place again, there's no other way around it.
"Until there's traffic lights, there has to be someone there to get the kids across the road safely, because it is not safe at the moment, it's just not."
Another person at the protest was Marie Donaghy, who takes her grandchildren to and from St Aloysius PS.
"Because there was a crossing attendant, the Education Authority is saying that it is necessary and is needed," she said.
"To stop paying for someone based on budget when they were already paying for someone doesn't seem fair or just.
"Essentially I'm here because I take my grandchildren to the school and I haven't felt safe crossing the road."
A spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said: "The Education Authority (EA) is facing an unprecedented funding gap in 2023/24 and have been warning of the impact this will have on core services and ultimately on our children and young people.
"Regrettably, whilst our team of School Crossing Patrols (SCPs), continue to provide support to over 350 schools across Northern Ireland, in light of the current budgetary pressures, the recruitment of temporary and permanent SCP officers has paused.
"Following the budget announcement by the Secretary of State on Thursday 27 April, the Education Authority, in conjunction with the EA Board and DE, will work through the allocations and implications across a range of services, including School Crossing Patrols.
"However, it is clear that some very difficult decisions will have to be made."
The EA also pointed out that it has no statutory obligation to provide crossing patrols or a statutory remit for road safety, including the installation of traffic lights.
It said the decision to pause recruitment of Schools Crossing Patrol officers will be kept under review as part of wider budget discussions.
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