The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has announced that it will not be employing a crossing patrol person near the junior school, despite fears expressed repeatedly by town councillors.

Members of the Driffield council are worried that traffic at the already busy junction will substantially increase once the new sports centre, which is currently under constriction, opens with an access from Bridlington Road.

Individual town councillors said they had carried out their own traffic surveys which they said highlighted the dangers and pitfalls facing youngsters as they make their way to and from school in the mornings and afternoons during term time.

Coun Alan Cousins said he counted traffic using the junction over two brief periods - 35 and 40 minutes - when children were using the crossing and it amounted to around 600 vehicles.

The junction is currently controlled by traffic lights and Coun Mrs Margaret Killin said that while she thought the children appeared safe enough, one or two adults did not set a very good example when it came to using the crossing.

Coun Joyce Fletcher said the traffic was horrendous during the period she visited the crossing.

She said she saw one child either run into or being bumped by a car and other youngsters walking along the wrong side of railings which separate the road from the path.

She suggested that a letter should go to the junior school reminding the children to take care when crossing the road.

Coun Jean Cousins said when she was there one or two of the children were acting 'silly' and she felt a crossing patrol person was needed at that location.

Coun Paul Rounding believed the junction was a traffic blackspot. "It remains a great concern to me and many parents who are using the school.
"It is disappointing to hear that adults are not setting a good example."

Coun Rounding said that one of his main concerns was the new entrance to the sports centre from Bridlington Road.

"There will be more traffic on Bridlington Road and that will have a bigger impact on the junction." He said that the traffic lights may be working well but 'kids are kids' and ERYC should be providing crossing cover.

Coun Grace Gorski said she also felt the volume of traffic at the junction was horrendous, but added: "We need to bide our time on this.
"We need to wait and do the survey again in a few months time."

Coun Roach said he observed children improperly crossing diagonally from the school towards a shop and suggested the town council should ask the school head to give the youngsters some training as to the correct manner in which to cross the road.

But Coun Nigel Robinson correctly pointed out that in the days when a crossing patrol person was employed at the junction children would cross diagonally under guidance.

The council decided to send a letter to the school outlining the concerns of its members and to keep a watching brief on the situation until the sports centre opened.