Traffic light pedestrian crossings outside some of South Australia’s most popular schools have failed safety rules, according to an official audit.
The Transport Department data reveals more than one-third of the 69 major road crossings that were identified as needing urgent works – including trimming tree branches and limbs that obscured lights – were located outside high-traffic education institutions.
The audit comes just months after a horror crash involving Marryatville High School students. It’s believed that overgrown foliage did play a part in blocking the traffic lights outside the eastern suburbs school.
The audit’s full results revealed failures at crossings outside 18 primary schools, five high schools or colleges, and a university – news that the Opposition road safety spokesman, Vincent Tarzia, said was “deeply concerning”.
Primary school locations detailed in the audit included locations near Annesley Junior School, Magill Primary School, St Joseph’s Payneham, and St Michael’s College.
Other problematic locations included crossings near Loreto College and Blackfriars Priory School, as well as another near the UniSA’s eastern suburbs campus at Magill.
“We simply cannot put a price on the safety of our children,” said Mr Tarzia. “It shouldn’t have taken two teenagers being seriously injured for our school crossings to be properly maintained.”
