asked the Minister for Local Government if he will clarify the position in relation to the right of way of motorists and pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing which is temporarily under the control of a traffic warden.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Right of Way at Pedestrian Crossings.
16.
I assume the Deputy is referring to a zebra crossing. I am advised that when a traffic warden exhibits his stop sign at such a crossing for the purpose of enabling school children to cross the road in safety, traffic approaching the crossing from either side is required to stop whether or not such crossing is provided with a central refuge.
What I have in mind is that if the traffic warden stops traffic on the centre of the road, and then lets the traffic go and goes back to the footpath, the pedestrians think they have a right to use the crossing but the traffic going in the opposite direction thinks it has a right to continue. Do the rules of the pedestrian crossing allow them to cross? The pedestrians seem to regard it as a pedestrian crossing and that they are entitled to walk out on it, but some motorists think they are entitled to drive on. The Minister will appreciate that this can be the cause of accidents. I have witnessed some minor accidents in cases such as this.
Is not the operative word "children"?
Is it not a fact that many people are under the impression that when a garda or a traffic warden takes over a zebra crossing, so long as the garda or the traffic warden is on duty, the ordinary operations of the zebra crossing are suspended, that the garda can wave the traffic on and stop the pedestrians, and that the ordinary pedestrian preference is suspended?
Yes?
A situation sometimes arises in which a traffic warden escorts people to the island on one side of the road and, because motorists cannot see the traffic warden on duty, they think the zebra crossing is suspended. The people escorted to the island then proceed to use the zebra crossing to get to the other side of the road. People do not seem to realise that the presence of a traffic warden suspends the whole zebra crossing, and not only the half on which he is standing. I suggest this is a matter which the Minister might bring to the attention of the Garda authorities for clarification.
The position is that traffic approaching from either side is required to stop.
Surely there is a difference between a garda at a zebra crossing and a traffic warden put there for the purpose of seeing to the safe passage of children? The Minister's reply makes the matter even more complicated. Everyone knows that when a garda is in control, all other controls are suspended. It is children only who are affected when a traffic warden is on the crossing.
In my reply I did not refer to the garda at all. I said that when a traffic warden exhibits his stop sign at such a crossing for the purpose of enabling school children to cross the road in safety, traffic approaching the crossing from either side is required to stop, whether or not such crossing is provided with a central refuge.
With that I agree.
The point I am trying to bring out is ——
Has the Deputy a question?
When a traffic warden stops the traffic in the centre of the road and goes back to the footpath, there are two lanes of traffic. People on one side see that the traffic warden is there, and people on the other side do not, and pedestrians try to walk across, thinking it is an ordinary pedestrian crossing.
We have to depend on the traffic wardens not to let the traffic go until such time as their job is done and the schoolchildren have crossed.
If there is an island in the middle of the road, does not that make it two roads?
The fact is that when a traffic warden exhibits his stop sign, the traffic approaching from either side is required to stop, whether or not the crossing is provided with a central refuge.
I suggest that the Minister have a word with the Garda authorities.