School pupil wins new bike in annual safety competition

ART work by a city youngster will remind school pupils of the need to take care on the roads.

Each year, the city council’s road safety unit runs a junior road safety officer scheme in all its primary schools.

Two pupils from every school in the city help the unit promote and deliver road safety schemes in their school and the local community in a bid to keep everyone safe.

One of the tasks is to run an annual competition to design a road safety calendar which is displayed in every nursery, primary and secondary school in the city.

This year pupils could choose one of four themes – cycle safety safer crossing places, the green Cross Code and in-car safety.

Around 10,000 entries were received from 60 schools and the winner was Shay Rawson, 7, from class 3a of St Mirin’s Primary on Carmunock Road.

He opted to feature the Green Cross Code and his colourful picture features the words Look, Listen, Stop.

Shay was presented with a new bike, helmet and hi-vis jacket by Malcolm Balfour, convener of the council’s environmental, sustainability and carbon reduction committee.

Junior road safety officers Oran Barbour who is in P6/7 and Emily Bonner of P7b received gift vouchers for organising and running the competition in their school.

Mr Balfour said: “Every year our junior road safety officers do a fantastic job of promoting road safety messages in their schools.

“Road safety sills are vital to ensure our young people learn pedestrian skills from an early age to prepare them for independent travel later in their school life.

“It is very encouraging to see so many primary schools getting involved and something I hope to see more of.

“Our junior road safety officers do a remarkable job of raising awareness and understanding of road safety issues and this annual calendar competition helps get a serious message across in a way young people will remember and help keep them safe.”