The father of a six-year-old boy who was run over while crossing the road to school in Pembroke last week is calling for more safety measures in the area “before it’s too late”.

The boy was hit by a car on October 16 while crossing the road to St Michael School on the zebra crossing in Triq Alamein.

His wife was holding on to two other children and crossing at the zebra lines from the Luxol side while their son was walking about a metre in front of her, he recounted.

The cars coming on their right stopped. However, there was a large vehicle parked on the left, obstructing the road. A car emerged from behind it and hit the boy. He was lucky to suffer only bruises to his face and side and no serious injuries.

“It’s a miracle that the accident did not have worse consequences... something long-term must be done otherwise this case will be forgotten until there’s another serious accident,” the father told Times of Malta.

The couple then learned that other parents had already started a petition to improve safety in the area.

“Many have witnessed or experienced near-misses,” he said.

It’s a miracle that the accident did not have worse consequences

The petition, started by the St Michael School Parent Community, calls for steps to be taken to increase safety in Triq Alamein during drop-off and pick-up times.

The parents would like to see more road signs such as ‘children crossing’ and ‘school ahead’, speed bumps, road paint, clearly marked speed limits and pavement barriers.

In fact, there are only two speed bumps for the entire stretch, on opposite sides of the long road, and neither are close to the zebra crossings to slow down oncoming traffic.

The petition also suggests a ‘lollipop officer’ to help children cross and closure of the road during drop-off and pick-up times.

Pembroke Mayor Dean Hili said a series of measures were already in place in the locality according to Transport Malta standards.

But, he said, closing off the road was not possible since there are other schools in the area.

“If we were to close off every single road where there is a school we would be effectively locking residents in their homes for several hours daily, also depriving them of hours of public transport and blocking off emergency vehicles that may be required,” Hili noted.

“For years we have been urging the schools in question to come on board on an organised system where parents are encouraged to meet at the park and ride area, freeing up traffic in Triq Alamein and generally reducing chaos leading to several different dangers on the road close to schools and crossings in Pembroke.

“While cooperation in previous years was scarce, this time around we have seen a significant improvement as we are being helped by LESA officials and our community policing team which is doing a great job, directing parents to the park and ride just opposite the schools,” he said.

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