A Keith childminder is growing increasingly fearful for the youngsters in her care as she walks them to school each day along a “chock-a-block” road.
Nicky Leighton says she has struggled to safely navigate busy School Road since the addition of Keith Primary to the town’s grammar school in 2012.
The frustrated nanny is now urging Moray Council to act now to prevent accidents as she watches the “worrying” surge in traffic fly past her everyday.
Concerns were first raised about the potential hazards shortly after the enlarged complex opened and a child was hit by a car while walking along a narrow stretch of the road with her father.
Council transport officers urged elected members to ban vehicles from that section of the road and to apply waiting restrictions along the rest of the route.
But councillors opted not to progress with their recommendations – and Miss Leighton claims the hazards are getting worse.
“Since the new building went up traffic has got worse, and it’s continuing,” she said.
“Mornings are the worst, as the road gets so chock-a-block with parents dropping their children off at the school that it’s quite dangerous.
“Being a childminder entrusted with other people’s kids, that really does make me worry.
“These are quite narrow streets and they weren’t built for this ridiculous level of traffic.”
She added: “It would be relatively easy for the council to make the road one-way the whole way along. Something certainly needs to be done.”
Miss Leighton looks after children as young as two, and says she is “terrified” of the potential consequences should an infant stray onto the road.
More than 700 pupils attend the school complex, with roughly 300 children at the primary and more than 400 at the secondary school.
Moray Council leader Stewart Cree said the local authority would look into the matter, but warned that a one-way system may not be feasible.
“We deferred any decision on the plans in 2012 so we could gain the benefit of some years of experience,” he said.
“This is now something we can ask officers to have another look at.
“I have some sympathy with the issues raised, but a one-way system could have an adverse impact on School Road residents and force them to take detours to make simple journeys.”