PARENTS are being urged to organise petitions against cuts to school crossing patrols in Exeter.
And one Exeter councillor has described the proposal as 'potentially very dangerous'.
With the county council facing a £50m reduction in its funding in the next financial year it is looking to shave £100,000 off its school crossing patrol budget over the next two years.
Councillors are being asked to approve the criteria, based on pedestrian and vehicle counts, that determines whether an existing school crossing patrol qualifies for funding from the county council.
At sites where the patrols do not meet the criteria, the county council is looking to transfer costs to schools.
Richard Westlake, county councillor for Polsloe and Newtown, said: "I am very concerned about asking schools to pay for patrollers.
"If they would rather have them than not because of safety this is going to put real pressure on very tight school budgets.
"I would like to see a patroller at Ladysmith but we have not been able to recruit so we need to be looking at terms and conditions right across Devon.
"We have a number of sites in Exeter where it is crucial that there is a patroller for the children's safety."
Rob Hannaford, Exwick and St Thomas county councillor, for four years chaired the county council's School Transport Appeal Committee which included assessing safe school walking routes and is recommending starting petitions.
He said: " Sadly, school crossing staff are not required by law, so they are a soft target for cuts. "It's also important to remember that the average pay for these frontline workers is just £3,000 a year, who are out in all weathers looking after pupils."
"This is potentially a very dangerous decision.
"Many of our local schools are on or near busy routes.
"For years the county council has been trying to push more school walking amongst pupils. "If parents become concerned that this is unsafe because there are no patrols, many more will choose to drive in, which will add to existing problems for the schools and the neighbouring residents."
Cllr Hannaford added: "It's all very well suggesting schools or volunteers could take over; most local schools are struggling with budget cuts and teaching pressures, and most parents in Exeter are also busy working hard to keep their families going, with other family members such as grandparents also often still in work, or helping with child care, where are these volunteers going to come from?"
"I would urge all local schools to work with pupils and their families to organise petitions against the move, express their concerns through the Echo, and also contact their local councillors to resist the removal of these much valued staff in the interests of public safety. "
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon's cabinet member for Highway Management, said: "These proposals are seeking approval for the criteria which would determine whether an existing school crossing patrol justifies funding. We can then consult, on a school by school basis, with the aim of schools meeting some of the costs where patrols do not meet the criteria. "The county council would still cover the costs of essential support, providing the necessary training and equipment for all the school crossing patrol sites, but if the remaining costs cannot be found locally then it may result in the loss of patrols that don't meet the criteria."
