Roadsafetycalloutnearschools
KatikatiPrimarySchool’sboard chairiscallingonthecommunity tomakesafetythetoppriorityon BeachRdatdrop-offandpick-up timeswhenTerm3starts.
AnitaRapsonwantsdrivers,cyclists, walkersandbuspassengerstonavigatethe roadpasttheschoolswithextracare,so everyonegetshomesafe.
Shesaidshehadgrownincreasingly concernedthisyearaboutthesafetyof childrengettingtoandfromschool.
“BeachRd[betweentheschools]isvery busyatdrop-offandpick-uptimes.
“Mymainmessagetothecommunityis todriveandparkrespectfully,andwith kindness.Theprimaryhasroughly520 studentsaged5to11.Pleaselookoutfor ourlittlepeople.”
Shesaidissuesincludedpeopleparking illegallyonBeachRd,vehiclesnot stoppingatthepedestriancrossing betweentheprimaryschoolandKatikati College,anddriversspeeding.
“Weobserveongoingissuesincluding dangerousdrivingpractices,poorparking decisionsandgenerallyunsafeconductby arangeofroadusers.
“Thesebehavioursarecreatinga situationwheresafety–particularlyfor ourtamariki[children]–isatrisk.”
Rapsonsaidtheschoolcommunitylost useofKatikatiBowlingClub’sgrounds forparkingthisyear–becauseofrulebreakers–whichhadputfurtherpressure onBeachRdatpeaktimes.
Councilmonitoring
ShecontactedWesternBayofPlenty DistrictCouncilinlateMaytorequest support.
Thecouncil’steamleadcompliance support,VenitaCampbellsaidthecouncil monitoredthesituationonJune3-5 between2.35pmand3.15pm.
OnJune3thecouncilissuedsixparking infringementsforparkingonyellowlines, parkingonthewrongsideoftheroadand blockingdriveways.
OnJune4thecouncilissuedfour parkinginfringementsforparkingina busstop,onatrafficisland,blockinga drivewayandparkingonyellowlines.
OnJune5thecouncilissuedsixparking infringementsforparkingonyellowlines, onatrafficisland,andblockingadriveway. TwooffendersfromJune3,committedthe sameoffenceinthesameplace.
“Whileanyunsafeorillegalparkingis concerning,thenumberofinfringements
overthesethreedaysisnotconsidered unusuallyhighcomparedwithother schoolsacrossthedistrict,”Campbell said.
Shesaidthecouncil’smonitoring showedthebiggestchallengewasthe largenumberofvehicleswithinashort timeperiod.“Thiscanleadtocongestion, limitedparkingavailabilityanddrivers makingrusheddecisions.
“Mostpeoplecomplywiththeroad rulesbutevenasmallnumberofillegal parkingorunsafedrivingcanincrease safetyrisksandcontributetotraffic delays.”
Campbellsaidthecouncilwould continuetomonitortheareaas operationalprioritiesallowed.“Targeted patrolsmaybecarriedoutduringpeak schoolperiods,whereappropriate. However,compliancewithroadrules remainstheresponsibilityofeveryroad user,regardlessofwhetherenforcement staffarepresent.”
Campbellsaidduringitsmonitoring, thecouncilnoticedtheschool’sdropoff/pick-upzonewasnotalwaysusedas intended,withvehiclesleftunattended andparkedforlongerthannecessary, whichcontributedtotrafficcongestion.
“However,astheschool’sdrop-offand pick-upareaislocatedonprivateproperty ratherthancouncilroadreserve,wedon’t havetheauthoritytomonitororenforce parkingbehaviourwithinthisarea.”
Rapsonsaidtheschoolhadtoldparents aboutthisvianewslettersandFacebook “buteffortshavenotbeensufficientto changebehaviour”.
“Wewantresidentstoknowtheschool isaskingourcommunitytodothe rightthing–butwealsoneedthewider communitytomakesafetyapriority,” Rapsonsaid.
Shesaidherschool’sYear6studentroad patrollerswereonduty,supervisedbyan adult,attheBeachRdpedestriancrossing weekdaysfrom8.10am-8.35amand 2.50pm-3.10pm.
AParkRdpedestriancrossingwasalso mannedbyprimaryschoolroadpatrollers andanadultduringweekdaydrop-offand pick-uptimes.
Shesaidherschool’sYear6student roadpatrollerswereondutyattheBeach Rdpedestriancrossingweekdaysfrom 8.10am-8.35amand2.50pm-3.10pm.
“Trainedbythepolicetooperatethe roadcrossing,theyprovideavaluable service–notonlyensuringstudents fromboththeprimaryandcollegecross safelybutalsoavoidinglongdelaysfor
KatikatiPrimarySchoolYear6studentroadpatrollersOliviaLyverandBethanySilby ondutyontheBeachRdpedestriancrossing. Photo/MerleCave
trafficasthestudentscrossingroups,not individually.
Stopatpedestriancrossing
“Weareverygratefultocourteous driverswhostopwhentheyseethatthere aregroupsofchildrenwaitingtocrossthe road,”Nicholsonsaid.
“Wedogetconcernedwhenweare comingoffpatrolhowever,assome motoristsdon’trecognisethatwhen theschoolsignsaren’tout,itisstilla pedestriancrossingandthattheyneedto stopforpeoplewaitingtocross.”
Nicholsonsaidcarsavoidingparking onyellowlineseithersideofthecrossing wouldalsohelpthepatrollers.“Weneed torememberthat[children]aremuch shorterthananadultandfinditharderto judgethespeedcarsaretravelling,sothey needtobeabletoseewelldowntheroad inordertomakesafecalls.”
KatikatiCollegeprincipalLousie Buckleysaidensuringasafetraffic environmentaroundtheschoolswas anabsolutepriority.“Peakdrop-off andpick-uptimesonBeachRdare exceptionallybusy,andweaskthatall driversexercisepatience,followtheroad rules,andstrictlyadheretothespeed limitsintheschoolzone.”
Buckleystronglyencouragedparentsto avoidusingthecollege’smaincarparkfor drop-offsandpick-ups.“Withsomany studentsexitingthegroundsonfoot,
keepingthisareaclearofunnecessary vehiclessignificantlyreducestheriskof accidents.”
Church’sshort-termparking
StPeter’sAnglicanChurchspokesman DanEuintonsaidshort-termparkingfor schooldrop-offandpick-upwaswelcome atthechurch’scarpark,butvehicles leftforextendedperiodsreducedthe parkingavailableforopshopcustomers, funeralattendees,churchmembersand communitygroups.
SeniorConstableBruceMorrissey saidpolicewereawareofongoingissues arounddriverbehaviournearKatikati’s schools.“KatikatiPoliceaskalldrivers takeextracarearoundallschoolsdueto theunpredictablebehaviourofyoung children,especiallyarounddrop-offand pickuptimes.
“Childrencaneasilybeobscuredby parkedvehicles.Childrenareoften distractedwalkingingroupsorusing phones.Amoment’sdistractionor inattentionbyadrivercanleadtoalifechangingincident.”
Rapsonsaid:“Whetheryou’reaparent, localresident,teacherorstudent–please useBeachRdsafelyandparklegally –Iknowit’s[peak-timetraffic]really challengingforeveryonebutit’sthe littlepeopleatrisk.Iamreallyworried someoneisgoingtogethurt.”
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