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School wardens helping road safety

Children will be returning to Irish schools in the coming weeks. In preparation of this County council’s Road Safety Teams are going to be working closely with schools to assist them with their plans for reopening, including the return of the school warden service. 

School wardens’ staff are key members of the community and play a crucial role in getting children to school as safely as possible while also introducing them to the importance of road safety. 

There are now more than 400 school traffic wardens working across the country — all doing their best to ensure that children get to and from school safely.

Whilst a lot of the road safety messages remain the same, as traffic increases and lockdown eases it is now so important that we remember the basics.

Noel Gibbons road safety officer, Communications department, Mayo County Council commented on the situation, saying: “As lockdown starts to ease and we begin to travel more, including the journey to school, it is so important that we stay alert on our roads.

“I am really pleased that School wardens will be able to support schools as they reopen to help protect the safety of children and their parents travelling to the site.

Our school wardens have the same authority as a Garda to stop traffic, as set out clearly in the rules of the road.

“Failing to stop puts vulnerable road users at risk and the school wardens are instructed to report any driver who fails to stop to the Gardai and this could result in prosecution. Some council’s has also relaunched the Please Respect Me’ project, aiming to educate drivers on rules around school wardens.- As part of the campaign, the council’s  lollipop men and women are wearing new orange tabards bearing the ‘please respect me’ slogan-It’s important to not only raise the awareness about the fantastic work done by our school wardens, but also talk about the difficulties they face. Any case of abuse or aggression is one too many.”

Drivers who do not stop for lollipop men and women could face four penalty points and a €120 fine.

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