Student safety at crossroads

 

Not only is Insley Street at the village the busiest traffic entry into Mangawhai, it also runs past Mangawhai Beach School. 

Despite the signage many drivers seem unaware of student safety with any dangers increasing with pupil numbers increasing by around 20 per cent per year over the past couple of years, a trend that seems set to continue. 

Add to this an absence of suitable footpaths and the lack of a pedestrian crossing, plus additional parent pick-ups from an inadequate car park area, and the situation becomes one of pending danger.

Concern has been building, but the case has recently gained strong interest from Otamatea councillor Jonathan Larsen who has been working with the school to try to get the matter addressed. He has raised the issue on his ‘The WorkBoot Councillor’ Facebook page. 

“The safety concerns over the lack of a pedestrian crossing were brought to my attention by the school” said Cr Larsen. “I’d have to admit it does seem rather unusual for a school with 450-odd students to not have a proper pedestrian crossing. The school wants a proper zebra crossing that can be patrolled as students arrive and leave each day. This seems like a pretty reasonable request and is common practice at many other schools.”

There is no quick fix, with several issues which need to be addressed and a process to follow through the Council, transport departments and education authorities.

“I have raised the matter with the council’s chief executive to try to get it addressed as a matter of urgency and I hope to see this situation sorted as soon as possible without too much bureaucratic delay. In the meantime let's keep the conversation going,” he added.

Cr Larsen recently met with chool principal Aaron Kemp and Board of Trustees chairman Luke Canton regarding their safety concerns over the lack of a pedestrian crossing for students to cross Insley St. 

The matter is included as high priority in stage one of the Mangawhai Community Plan slow street implementation, so hopefully will be first priority once the Long Term Plan budgets are approved in June. 

Otamatea Ward councillor Jonathan Larsen (left) and Mangawhai Beach School Board of Trustees chairman, Luke Canton, standing where the student pedestrian crossing isn't.