Road concerns at high school
THE Palmerin St side of Warwick State High School was not the only area causing angst at busy drop-off and pick-up times, Cr Ross Bartley said yesterday.
"(The students) explode out of all four sides of the school," he said.
"Bus companies are now complaining... Guy St is the main point where they pick up... they are having difficulty with the cars parked in Guy St.
"They are concerned there will be someone hurt or injured trying to run for the bus."
The issue was raised at yesterday's general meeting with council no closer to a solution for what is considered a danger to students crossing from the school to where their parents are waiting on the other side of the road.
Cr Neil Meiklejohn suggested a two-minute drop-off to keep traffic moving but conceded there would probably be no way to stop parents dropping their children on the Harvey Norman side of Palmerin St, causing them to have to cross the road.
Cr Ross Bartley raised concerns about the length of time which had lapsed between yesterday's discussions and the last consultation with the school.
"That was 12 months ago," he said.
"It's an evolving situation down there.
"We should go back and have fresh discussion with the P&C and the high school.
"We are being a little bit premature without having fresh consultation."
Cr Jo McNally described the process used at another school in the Rose City at which the principal escorted students across the road to waiting parents.
"I would like to know what the school is going to do to help," Cr McNally said.
"We need to have better consultation with the high school."
The WSHS P&C called for new safety measures to be put in place due to fears of mishaps between students and passing traffic at busiest times of the day.
Suggestions of a zebra crossing, a shared zone with a reduced speed or a proper refuge island were leftt to lie on the table for the next month while the council consults with the school and surrounding businesses.
