Drop-off safety concerns

The safety of children at Cassia Primary School has become a point of concern as parents partake in the daily kiss-and-run ritual.

According to a Facebook post, there has been a rise in concern as the number of cars has increased with the school’s growth.

Parent Kristie Thomas said despite living nearby, she was not comfortable allowing her children to walk to and from school on their own because of the high congestion.

“A child is going to get seriously hurt,” she said.

“We live two seconds away from the school,.

“My kids should be able to ride home alone, but they can’t because they need to cross that road that has no crossing and ride alongside those cars on the road because they are parked on the footpath.”

School principal Narelle Ward said pressure had been placed on parking facilities, particularly during drop-off and pick-up times, because of significant growth at the school in recent years.

“To alleviate some of the pressure, a new 30-bay carpark was built in 2016,” she said.

“There is no more room to create additional parking spaces near the school, so we are actively promoting alternatives to car travel such as walking and cycling to school.

“In recent years, the focus has been on working closely with parents, staff and the Town of Port Hedland to minimise traffic issues as best as we can.”

With a staff member on bus duty every day and support from rangers at times to help during afternoon pick-up times, Ms Ward said overall traffic flowed relatively well, with a majority of parents doing the right thing. “The school will continue seeking support from the Town of Port Hedland, which is looking into ways that they can improve the flow of traffic around the school,” she said.