The background of the petition can viewed at the below link:
Cllr Dr Shengke Zhi's speech at the Council Meeting on 20th March 2024
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
Serving as a councillor for the Bowdon Ward, including the Oldfield Brow community, I am fully backing this petition. My commitment to our children’s safety and wellbeing is unwavering and absolute.
Imagine, you stand outside the Oldfield Brow Primary School at 3:30pm on any given school day. You will see a very busy and crowed junction of the Taylor Road and Stokoe Avenue. Parents, children, cars and buses are all there. Unfortunately, due to reckless parking and driving behaviours, it brings significant risks to pedestrians including students and their families. This issue demands our immediate attention and action.
As representatives of our communities, we must recognize the urgency and importance of this issue. The daily commute to and from school should not be a source of anxiety for our children or their parents. Yet, as it stands, the lack of effective speed control measures, inadequate signage, and inappropriate parking and driving behaviours have created an unsafe environment for our youngest and most vulnerable residents.
Last year, over two thousand children were seriously injured or lost their lives on the roads across Britain. This is not just a number but a call to action — a call to prevent our community from contributing to this distressing number.
Today, we are presented with a critical opportunity to implement meaningful measures to safeguard our children. The proposals outlined in the petition, including the introduction of a school crossing patrol, the installation of a zebra crossing and speed bumps, and upgrading road safety signage, are not just feasible—they are imperative.
As members of this council, it is our duty to listen, to care, and to act. I urge each one of you to support this initiative. By doing so, we not only enhance the safety of our roads but also the quality of lives in our communities. Let us send a clear message: within in our borough the safety of our children takes priority.
-The End-