Superhero children to join protest for traffic calming outside primary school

Outside Tannaghmore PS Photo courtesy of Google

Dressing up as super heroes, the children of Tannaghmore Primary School in Lurgan voted to take part in the community protest today (Friday) in a bid to put pressure on the authorities to erect traffic calming outside their school.

The protest, organised by parents and local residents, is to take place on Castors Bay Road where several children have narrowly missed being hit by cars in recent months.

Tannaghmore PS Acting Vice Principal Mrs Anne Davey said the school had been approached by local residents about the protest after concerns about speeding motorists, particularly driving from the Mile House towards the town centre.

With the school having around 640 pupils, Mrs Davey said they wanted the young people to have their own voice and put it to them via their student council.

The children at Tannaghmore have been working hard making banners and creating jingles and slogans for the protest, which is at 2.45pm tomorrow.

Mrs Davey said: "The children are worried and we felt it important that they know their voice is being heard."

One local resident said that parents and locals have had enough of speeding cars.

She said there were serious problems with joy riders, broken wing mirrors and lorries speeding.

"There have been three children knocked down in the last few years - the latest one was just two weeks ago in a hit and run. It's awful," she said.

Local Sinn Fein Cllr Keith Haughian said he had been lobbying for traffic calming for several years but has been told the road does meet the criteria but is not high enough up the priority list.

He said: "A school, a bar, a public park, a shop and a GAA club all along this stretch and somehow it isn't a priority?"

One mum said: "It amazes me that a school with over 700 pupils doesn't meet the criteria?"

Another mother said: "By leaving the Shore Road without traffic calming they have just made a circuit for speeders, flying down from Aghagallon along the Shore Road up the Antrim Road and back out to Aghagallon every evening stopping only to do donuts at the roundabout!"