Video shows the danger facing Croydon's lollipop men and women
THESE alarming images show the dangers facing Croydon's under-threat lollipop men and women.
The pictures, taken from a video shot by a cyclist, show an impatient driver heading straight at oncoming traffic before mounting a kerb a few feet away from lollipop woman Linda Conn.
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Lollipop lady Linda Conn by her crossing in Northcote Road
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Cyclist Ashley Brown captures traffic chaos by the school crossing in Northcote Road
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Cyclist Ashley Brown captures traffic chaos by the school crossing in Northcote Road
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Cyclist Ashley Brown captures traffic chaos by the school crossing in Northcote Road
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Cyclist Ashley Brown captures traffic chaos by the school crossing in Northcote Road
Mrs Conn patrols one of ten school crossings the council wants to axe, to save £60,000 a year. Over the past week her crossing, in Northcote Road, Selhurst, has been sandwiched between temporary traffic lights installed due to work to repair first one section of a gas main, then another.
The build-up of traffic was so precarious the 56-year-old's manager told her she did not have to work – but she soldiered on "for the children".
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On Wednesday, she was given a reminder of the risk she was taking – and the potential danger posed if the crossing is axed.
Dr Ashley Brown, 30, a software engineer from Addiscombe, was waiting at the crossing as he made his way to work at 8.30am when he caught the incident on a video camera mounted in his helmet.
He explained: "There was a lot of traffic coming from the other direction, but it wasn't clear who had right of way so I waited.
"Suddenly the car behind me darted out. The driver had clearly had enough. The car overtook me on a zebra crossing and then mounted the pavement.
"It wasn't as if we had been waiting for five minutes and nothing had moved. We had been there for 40 to 50 seconds, but that about sums up the usual standard of driving on that road. I was so horrified about what had happened I uploaded the video to YouTube when I got into work."
The Advertiser has launched a campaign, backed by pupils, parents and head teachers, to save the ten crossing patrols.
Dr Brown, who cycles to work three times a week, said the cuts make little sense. He said: "I try to avoid the school run down there as much as possible. The traffic is quite heavy and the drivers are very pushy.
"It doesn't make any sense to cut the crossing on a main road at a time when people are at their most impatient.
"Given the standard of driving, and that it's a main road, it's not sensible at all."
Mrs Conn, who has been a lollipop woman for nearly six years, said: "I was told I didn't have to work if I didn't want, which was thoughtful, but I wanted to come in for the children. I would feel awful if one of them was hurt because I wasn't there."
A council spokesman said an assessment had concluded a patrol was needed to "assist while the roadworks were in place".
A spokesman for Scotia Gas Networks said: "We are currently working to repair a leak in the gas main in Northcote Road.
"We have installed temporary traffic lights around our work area to ensure the safety of the general public, motorists and our engineers.
"In addition, we're working with the school crossing patrol to ensure that safety of the pupils at the nearby school is not comprised by our works.
"We were working in the road earlier in the week to repair a leak in a different section of the gas main. We have returned to Northcote Road to repair another leak in the same stretch of gas main.
"We are working to identify the source of the leak and complete our repairs as quickly as possible.
"Safety is our number one priority. All our work areas must comply with statutory requirements and we take any suggestions of breeches of this extremely seriously.
"We appreciate that roadworks can be frustrating, but we would like to remind motorists to take extra care around our site.
"This is urgent repair work and we'd like to thank local residents and road-users for their patience and cooperation."
5 Comments
by Cockney_Red
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 3:14PM
“I drive down this road every day and i have to agree with others that the lights are frequently not working. However can some one explain in the current economic climate why are we paying for a crossing patrol on a ZEBRA crossing. Pedestrians have the right of way over cars anyway. Also it causes more delays and frustration waiting for a crossing patrol to help some one across the road which is frequently adults with no children with them at this crossing. There is also another zebra crossing less than 30 yards along the road. Absolute waste of resources having this crossing patrolled. Parents should educate their children on how to cross the road and if they are to young to learn they should be taken to school anyway!”
by Cockney_Red
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 3:12PM
“I drive down this road every day and i have to agree with others that the lights are frequently not working. However can some one explain in the current economic climate why are we paying for a crossing patrol on a ZEBRA crossing. Pedestrians have the right of way over cars anyway. Also it causes more delays and frustration waiting for a crossing patrol to help some one across the road which is frequently adults with no children with them at this crossing. There is also another zebra crossing less than 30 yards along the road. Absolute waste of resources having this crossing patrolled. Parents should educate their children on how to cross the road and if they are to young to learn they should be taken to school anyway!”
by squired
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 1:30PM
“Although I support the idea of keeping the lollipop persons, one can't help but think that with the way driving standards are going it is akin to a doctor treating an illness rather than preventing it in the first place. What we need is unmarked police patrols (with focus on schools during the relevant hours) stamping down on bad driving. No-one can deny that driving standards have deteriorated in recent years and part of the reason for that is drivers knowing they are very unlikely to be caught or punished for it. One only has to look at the horrific video posted recently on the BBC website showing a mother and child run over by a car that didn't even slow down after sending both flying.”
by ashleybrown
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 1:15PM
“Absolutely right. And they were only half off - the one facing my direction of travel was on (showing red) but pointing at the shop windows on the right. The one for oncoming traffic was facing them and, as it turned out, was off. Even worse than just being off, they were confusingly half off!”
by steve_-_t
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 11:59AM
“It's worth noting - while not detracting from the story or the stupid driving - the traffic lights controlling the traffic around those roadworks on the right are off. The roadworks have been there since the snow, the traffic lights have been out of action about 90% of the time. That driver shouldn't be driving like that but the people who are digging up the road have a responsibility to make sure the traffic lights are working to avoid this stuff happening. (They were working this morning)”