Parents at an Elgin primary are campaigning for a planned road crossing to be moved closer to the school gates.
Moray Council wants to install a pedestrian crossing on Morriston Road outside Elgin Academy and believes it is the “optimal safe and feasible” location.
A spokesman insisted a number of factors, including traffic and property access, were fully considered before the proposed option was revealed.
But parents at Bishopmill Primary School have criticised the plans, arguing the spot won’t provide a safe crossing for the majority of students.
They have now met Moray MP Douglas Ross to express their concerns, in the hope it will strengthen their call for the council to move the crossing closer to the primary.
Disappointing proposals
Safety concerns have grown outside Moray schools since crossing patrollers were controversially axed in budget cuts in 2019.
Mr Ross said his visit to Bishopmill Primary had highlighted the dangers parents and pupils are facing daily.
He said: “There has been a need for a pedestrian crossing for Bishopmill Primary School since the school crossing patrollers were removed several years ago.
“Where the crossing patrollers previously operated was a really good location to safely get pupils across what is a busy road but sadly the new proposal is quite a distance away.
“Just being there on Wednesday afternoon as the school closed, I saw how dangerous the current situation is and it’s really disappointing that the council have brought forward a proposal which does not provide the safest crossing for the majority of pupils.
“It’s also rightly angered many people that the council didn’t consult with the school’s parent council or others who need to trust that the crossing that is put in place will be safe for all the children.”
Mr Ross added that he had already spoken to the council about the issue, but would be “redoubling” his efforts after seeing firsthand the importance of getting the crossing installed at the “appropriate location” for Bishopmill Primary School.
A Moray Council spokesman said: “We’ve been working for some time to identify a suitable location for the pedestrian crossing – the siting of which is dependent on a number of factors including property access, traffic movements, side roads and walking routes.
“While we appreciate that some families will be disappointed that the proposed crossing is not as close to Bishopmill Primary as they’d hoped, this is the optimal safe and feasible location. Installing the crossing near Lang Walk will benefit many primary and secondary pupils walking to school, and form a key link in the active travel network.”