A PROMISED puffin crossing outside a busy Comber primary school must be delivered as soon as possible to ensure the safety of local schoolchildren, a politician has urged.
Strangford Assemblyman Nick Mathison has called for immediate progress on a long- awaited pedestrian crossing outside Andrews Memorial Primary School on the Ballygowan Road.
The Alliance MLA is calling on the Department for Infrastructure to install the puffin crossing it identified a need for last year.
A puffin crossing differs from a pelican crossing by having sensors which hold the traffic signal red until all pedestrians have crossed, extending the time for slower walkers.
“In late 2024, a site visit by Department for Infrastructure [DfI] officers confirmed that
the location outside Andrews Memorial
Primary School met the threshold for intervention and identified that a puffin
crossing would be appropriate. Plans for the design have now been drafted,” he said.
“The Department has now confirmed the crossing has been included in plans for
2026/27, reflecting the level of danger posed to pupils and others in the school community.”
Mr Mathieson said the situation was ‘particularly concerning at school drop-off
and pick-up times, with a heavy flow of HGVs and commuter traffic passing directly beside
the school entrance’.
He said that while some safety measures in recent years, including a temporary 20mph
speed limit, new signage and road markings had been put in place, the local community, including parents of children who attend the school had ‘stressed that these do not go far enough’.
“The safety of children, parents and staff at Andrews Memorial must be an absolute
priority,” he said.
Referring to the death last month of Killinchy motorist Jacqui Robinson on the Ballygowan Road, Mr Mathison said the dangers inherent on this particular local road made action necessary, as quickly as possible.
“With the recent fatal incident on the Ballygowan Road and clear evidence from
the DfI survey, it is beyond doubt that this location needs a controlled crossing.
“It is encouraging that draft designs have been completed, however while assurances this is progressing are welcome, I am well aware budgetary pressures can jeopardise projects at any time.”
Mr Mathison said he would continue to liaise with local school and community stakeholders to engage with DFI officers on the issue, ‘to prioritise the safety of local children’.
