Residents are ramping up a campaign against council plans to narrow a road near schools which they say ignore their safety concerns.
The local authority wants to reduce the number of cars on roads around Perth Academy, Fairview School and Viewlands Primary at busy times, partly by redirecting drivers to designated drop-off points along Viewlands Road, Oakbank Road and Fairies Road.
However the council also wants to complete work to narrow the carriageway of Fairies Road to just six metres so it can finish creating a new pavement along its eastern side for pupils and pedestrians to walk on.
Residents think reducing its width increase the chances of vehicles mounting pavements and striking pedestrians or colliding with other vehicles moving in the opposite direction.
Perth City South councillor Willie Wilson convened a special meeting between residents and council officials to discuss their concerns two months ago and locals had hoped to convince officials to rethink the road narrowing proposal during further discussions.
However a spokesperson for residents told the PA this weekend the group feels it now has no other option but to rally more people to campaign on the issue to persuade PKC to change its mind after reaching an “impasse” with officials.
Fairies Road resident David Milsom (66) said a presentation was made to officials drawing attention to incidents of dangerous driving as a result of narrowing the road during their latest meeting.
He said the same officials were also shown a brief video clip of a car mounting the pavement.
Mr Milsom said residents once again recommended the council consider returning Fairies Road to its original width and forming the new path on land further back from the road and within school grounds as they have done elsewhere at Viewlands Road.
However he said he came away from the meeting “exasperated” after officers appeared unwilling to budge.
“We went through all our points and really stressed the safety side and they [the council officials] seemed pretty horrified with the video,” he said.
“We presented lots of evidence to them and they came back with some queries about it but were unable to provide any sort of counter evidence.
“We kind of reached an impasse with them because we suggested the solution was to do something similar to what they have done in Viewlands Road but they weren’t up for it.”
Mr Milsom went on to say it appeared to him that the council were resisting rolling back on their idea to keep the carriageway narrowed because the work is already three-quarters complete.
Mr Milsom said the group is now aiming to persuade more parents to rally behind them and put added pressure on the council to think again.
A council spokesperson said this week pupil safety was “of paramount importance” to PKC.
“Narrowing the carriageway on Fairies Road to create the footpath will make it safer for pupils walking to school before the School Exclusion Zone (SEZ) is introduced,” the spokesperson said.
“SEZs have been successfully introduced in other areas where they have reduced traffic and made the walk to school safer for pupils and their parents and guardians.
“The trial at the Viewlands Campus Zone will reduce traffic congregating outside the school gates at peak times when pupils are coming and going.”
The spokesperson went on: “Residents living on the edge of the SEZ have expressed their concerns about displaced vehicles and the inconvenience this could cause.
“The council has acknowledged this and is committed to working with residents to minimise the impact on them and to access their properties, and it has been agreed that the council will consider introducing additional measures to mitigate any potential impact.
“However, maintaining and improving road safety remains the council’s primary objective.”
