Concerns have been raised over road safety after a schoolgirl was knocked down outside a Fraserburgh school.
An eight-year-old girl was hit by a car on Robertson Road outside Lochpots School in Fraserburgh just after 3pm on Wednesday.
She was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to be checked over after the incident.
The incident has raised concerns over road safety in and around the school, which continues to be an issue.
While not in place at Lochpots School, congestion at the nearby South Park School has become so bad that there has been a traffic ban in place at certain times.
The 18-month road closure was launched in May 2022, with the aim of cutting down car usage.
However, drivers have been routinely caught breaking the rules which will now result in a fine if caught within the traffic-ban zone.
The amount of traffic around school home time when parents/carers come to pick their kids has been an area of concern for the community for years.
It can lead to heavily congested roads, which can be dangerous for pedestrians in the area.
Local councillor Seamus Logan has been contacted by many residents about this particular issue.
He said: “Before yesterday’s accident, there has been a focus on South Park and the pilot project being rolled out in that area.
“I’ve had some contact with constituents in support of the project and the enhanced safety measures for the pupils going to and coming from school, but that it was also addressing some of the congestion concerns in that area as well.”
“Road safety around our primary schools is a matter of huge concern to parents and school staff.
“I will be working with other councillors, parents, teachers and council staff to see what can be done to improve the situation, not just at Lochpots School but at other schools where there are concerns.”
Mr Logan says that he recently attended a meeting at St Andrew’s School and said parents are “very concerned” about safety near the school.
He said: “It’s the same problem, drivers not taking appropriate care and attention, not reducing their speed and sometimes they completely ignore the school patrol officer.
Mr Logan says things are coming in the future to help tackle road safety issues in the town, such as the introduction of 20mph zones.
While he acknowledged this might be a “nuisance” to drivers, he said the safety of children was more important.
An Aberdeenshire spokeswoman said: “We would like to thank the emergency services, school staff and those who witnessed the incident on Wednesday for their quick response, and wish the pupil a speedy recovery.
“Aberdeenshire Council remain committed to the health and safety of all pupils, parents and staff using our schools.
“As always with circumstances of this nature, we will be reviewing events leading up to the incident.”
Conversation