Over 600 sign petition for reinstatement of School Traffic Warden in Westport

MORE than 600 people have signed a petition demanding the return of a Traffic Warden to the N59 pedestrian crossing at Scoil Phádraig in Westport, following the removal of the long-standing safety measure in September 2025.

The petition, organised by the Scoil Phádraig Home School Association and parents from the Holy Trinity School, is being circulated through WhatsApp and parent groups across Westport and is expected to close this week. A meeting will be scheduled for next Monday where parents will draft a formal letter and plan to present the petition to the municipal district.

The crossing at Scoil Phádraig serves more than 400 children, parents, and teachers from both the school and nearby Holy Trinity National School during peak drop-off and collection times. Parents say the absence of a warden, particularly during dark winter mornings, has created dangerous conditions for children crossing one of the main national primary routes into Westport.

The busy road experiences heavy pedestrian traffic during school drop-off times between 8.30 to 9am and collection times from 2.25pm to 2.45pm. The schools are located on the N59 ― one of the main national primary routes into Westport ― adjacent to a busy service station and near the New Road and one of the town's major supermarkets.

Young children

CLAIRE Murtagh, Chairperson from the Home School Association at Scoil Phádraig, emphasised the critical nature of the issue. “It's crucial to the school traffic drop off and pick up time,” she said. “It doesn't have to be a lollipop person if they put in something else, the Council could decide to put in a better pedestrian crossing, or pedestrian lights or some other traffic calming measure.

“There hasn't been a lollipop person since September 2025 and the crossing is also used by the adjacent pre-school, meaning children as young as three are crossing the N59 at peak traffic times,” Ms Murtagh told The Mayo News.

Scoil Phádraig operates as a 'Park and Stride' school, meaning parents cannot access the school grounds by car and all access must be on foot. This design, approved by Mayo County Council from the school's inception, makes the Traffic Warden position particularly vital for managing the flow of pedestrians across the busy national route.

The school works closely with the Westport Smarter Travel initiative, which promotes sustainable travel options within the town.

As has previously been reported in The Mayo News, Mayo County Council had consistently provided a Traffic Warden at this crossing from the school's opening until September 2025. Parents are particularly concerned about the removal during the dark winter mornings.

As part of their campaign, parents plan to contact the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to conduct a school gate risk guide, which audits the risks around the school environment.

“The absence of a Traffic Warden not only poses a serious safety risk to schoolchildren who have long relied on this support, but it also contributes to traffic disruption for all road users on the N59 entering Westport,” the petition states.

The Home School Association is calling on Mayo County Council to reinstate the Traffic Warden position “in the interest of safety and community well-being.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme