Independent Member for Alfred Cove, Dr Janet Woollard MLA, is calling on the local community to volunteer to become school traffic wardens.

“Unattended school crossings can be dangerous for children, particularly if they have to walk to school on their own,” Dr Woollard said.

Dr Woollard said that according to a 2008 study by the Office of Road Safety, road trauma is the leading cause of death and the second most frequent cause of hospitalization for children aged up to 14 years of age.

“One way the local community can make sure the roads are safe for our children is by volunteering to be a school traffic warden between the hours of 8-9am and 3-4pm, even if they can do only one or two shifts a week,” Dr Woollard said.

There are two types of school crossing. “Type A” crossings are managed by the WA Police, and “Type B” crossings are manned by volunteers who receive Police training.

However, being a “Type A” school does not guarantee that a traffic warden will always be available. Booragoon Primary School’s crossing is unattended for the next fortnight because a replacement cannot be found for the usual traffic warden who is on holidays.

“It is very worrying because our crosswalk is on a roundabout at the intersection of Norma Road and Kitchener Road, which leads into a busy industrial area,” said Samantha Emslie, President of the Parents and Citizens’ Association at Booragoon Primary School.

“Anyone who is interested in volunteering in Applecross, Ardross, Attadale, Bicton, Booragoon, Mount Pleasant and Palmyra can call my office on 9316 1377 and we will give them further information,” Dr Woollard said.