Speed limit reduced to 20mph at 10 schools

Culmore Primary School on the Culmore Road and St Paul’s Primary School, Slievemore on Moss Road are among the 100 schools across the north to receive confirmation.

The others include Foyle College and Ebrington Primary and Nursery on Limavady Road in Derry, and the Model Primary School on Northland Road in the city.

Other local schools affected include Holy Cross and St Mary’s P.S. on the Melmount Road in Strabane, St Canice PS in Glenedra Road, Feeny,

Drumrane PS on Drumrane Road, Dungiven, and St Matthew’s PS, Drumsurn Road, Limavady.

Making the announcement on Monday, Minister Mallon said: “I made a commitment in June to allocate £2million of funding to bring forward part-time 20mph speed limits at around 100 schools across NI so that parents, children and staff will be safer as they go to and from school on a daily basis.

“Children, parents and teachers in every part of the North will see positive, practical changes delivered on the ground by the Department of Infrastructure in their community. My officials are working at pace to develop the schemes, take forward the legislation and put in place the new part-time 20mph speed limit measures at these schools. This is another step forward in our effort to make our roads safer.”

At each of the schools new road signs will be erected in the form of standard fixed speed limit roundel signs with flashing amber lights set to come on at the times the reduced speed limit applies.

SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said: “On too many of our main roads, some drivers go past schools at high speed – and even 30 is too fast if a child is hit. Cutting the speed limit gives drivers more opportunity to spot danger and to see a child. It also reduces the injury to a child if he or she is hit, though I hope these measures will prevent that from happening.”