#1205 ... Kids for Safe Roads

The road safety work of school patrols was recognised today when about 1100 children from Wellington City primary schools marched through central Wellington in the annual Orange Day street parade. This group were dressed as pedestrian crossings with orange faces for the crossing signs

Dressed in orange, the school patrollers marched to the tune of the Scots College pipe band from Parliament along Lambton Quay and Willis Street to Civic Square and a celebration at the Wellington Town Hall.

“The school patrols do a terrific job,” says the Council’s Transport Portfolio Leader and Mayor Kerry Prendergast. “They have to take on the responsibility of making quick decisions on the spot about when to stop the traffic, put out the signs and get other students safely over the crossings.

Wellington Police Education Officer Constable Duncan Ashton, who trains school patrols, says school patrollers do a great job for their schools and communities during the busiest times for traffic.

“They are spending their time out there, and the parade is about giving them a reward, and it is also about reminding Wellingtonians to drive safely near schools,” he says.