In Belize City – hundreds of children walk to and from school every day – and there are countless close calls between students and cars in a heedless rush to get where they are going. Truth is, the fault is on both sides: many children have not been taught to walk –and many drivers could care less about cross walks or traffic wardens telling them to stop. But a new initiative hopes to change that – and we found out more this morning at the height of the morning traffic rush.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
It looks like business as usual just outside of St. Luke’s Methodist School on Mahogany Street. This female traffic officer running the show and respected by drivers who actually stop to let children and pedestrians safely walk across the street. We do not know if it was the presence of our camera that encouraged orderliness today but school principals, teachers and students in the area have become increasingly concerned about their own safety as there are at least two mishaps per month and there are persisten concerns.
While this driver did not hit anyone while on his approach to the pedestrian crossing look what happens when this traffic officer signal’s the driver to stop.
In a similar incident just before school closed for the Easter holiday another driver who failed to respect the pedestrian crossing hit a vice principal who was already walking across it luckily she was not seriously injured. Today the same cannot be said for eleven year old Rasha Dawson. Four years ago she was knocked down on Mahogany Street as she left school to go home for lunch. She was only six years old at the time suffered serious injuries to her right leg and foot. Those never healed and in a few months time she will need to undergo another surgery to amputate the foot.
Gilroy Pitts, Traffic Coordinator – Belize City
“The Belize City Council and the Traffic Department are going the extra mile to prevent something like this from happening again. Now we understand that this child will lose her foot, it is very unfortunate and we don’t want it to happen to another child. So that is the reason why we go the extra mile.”
And that effort took place this morning right in front of Dawson’s school where traffic officers took the time out to train ordinary school wardens on how to have students arrive safely to school.
Gilroy Pitts,
“We decided to give the officers a two weekend crash course so that they could come out and face the public and with the stop signs.”
Jalely Alvarez, Coordinator - School Wardens
“The thing is the motorists do not respect the wardens and that is the reason why we try to get the best for them with the stop signs because with them just going out there and stopping the traffic, the drivers tell them that they’ll knock them down or to get out of the way. So probably with them having the vests they will respect them.”
But it is not only getting the motorists to obey that is important. Belize City Council Traffic Coordinator Gilroy Pitts says the children themselves must also learn the various traffic signs and obey the traffic wardens instructions.
Gilroy Pitts,
“That is the key part so myself and some off the traffic officers will be going into the schools and we will be working with the principals to get them to understand the purpose of the signs because any life we save is a success.”
And to make sure it is a success Pitts and his team will also be heading into the classrooms to educate the children themselves.
But it is not only what happened to Rasha Dawson that makes the whole exercise a high priority. Remember seven-year-old Derricka Castillo? In February Castillo, who was a student of Central Christian School, was walking home after classes one evening when she was knocked down and killed. Primary school children are now just over their two week Easter break and back in the classroom. Pitts cautions all especially the driving public to be careful.
Gilroy Pitts,
“To please pay attention because all the schools, having these signs and whenever the wardens come out and put that sign up, it means for them to stop. I hope they will listen because the kid they save might be their own kid. So we’re asking the motorists to please respect these signs, obey the wardens, and make sure that they stop and give the kids a chance to cross the street.”
The sessions with traffic officers and school wardens should run for two weeks. Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
Pitts went to a school on the north side this afternoon.
