School Crossing Patrol Officers operate at certain places where it can be hazardous or difficult to cross the road. This is a discretionary service and it remains the responsibility of parents to ensure the safety of children travelling to and from school.
The law requires drivers to stop when the Stop sign is held upright. It is an offence under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 if a driver does not stop when signalled to do so by a School Crossing Patrol. The penalties for not stopping include:
- a fine of up to £1000;
- three penalty points on your driving licence.
The Transport Act 2000 states that a patrol can stop traffic for any pedestrians and not just for school children or those accompanying a school child.
Patrol responsibilities
School Crossing Patrol Officers, sometimes known as Lollipop People, work on school days for approximately 40 minutes each morning and afternoon.
If a patrol officer is unable to work, we attempt to provide cover using a mobile relief patrol. Our priority is to provide cover for the first day of absence. In these circumstances we inform schools that the regular patrol officer is unable to attend and that the site is likely to be unstaffed.
We also produce a bi-annual newsletter called
SCOOP to keep staff up to date with current good practice.
School crossing sites
We have approximately 200 approved sites around the county. We re-assess each site when it becomes vacant, to ensure there is still a need for the patrol. We also carry out new assessments of locations where pupils have difficulty crossing.
If you wish to have a road assessed please let us know:
- the name of the road;
- the point at which the majority attempt to cross.
We will then assess the site, taking into account the number of pupils crossing, the volume and speed of traffic and any special site characteristics.
If the location meets the national criteria for new sites, we will seek cabinet member approval and funding. We will then recruit and train a patrol officer and erect warning signs or lights at the site.
Contact
Tel: 01245 437 797 or 01245 437 261
email: school.crossings@essex.gov.uk