Wollongong Councillor Mithra Cox has enlisted Debra the Zebra to her campaign for safer routes for kids walking to school, including more zebra crossings.
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The Greens Councillor has a motion which will be debated at Council on Monday night, that would enable Council to more easily install pedestrian crossings.
Debra the Zebra said wild horses wouldn't keep her away from supporting Cr Cox's important campaign.
Debra replied with an emphatic 'neigh' when asked if she thought Wollongong's streets were safe for kids walking to school.
Read more: Wollongong families call for safer streets
"You can't expect kids to have to run across the road like gazelles dodging lions while there is nothing to stop the steady stream of cars. Kids need crossings, and that's why I'm here," she said.
"For me, this issue is black and white. I'm wild about crossings.
"We need to reign in fast cars on suburban streets and especially around schools. We need a little less horse power and a few more pedestrian crossings."
Cr Cox was glad to have Debra the Zebra on her side.
"The Greens have been trying for four years to get more crossings, and sometimes I really feel like I'm flogging a dead horse. This could really get the campaign up and racing," she said.
"For too long, cars have been prioritised over kids and in fact over anyone who is trying to walk to school, the shops or around their neighbourhoods.
"We've heard it straight from the horse's mouth, it's time to change our priorities, and get more pedestrian crossings to make our streets safer, especially for kids walking to school."
Cr Cox added Wollongong's lack of pedestrian crossings had always been attributed to the fact that the city could never meet the "warrants" set down by Transport for NSW - strict guidelines that mean the Council cannot install crossings where there are too few or too many cars or pedestrians.
"Developing our own guidelines would enable us to put pedestrian priority crossings in much needed areas like school walking catchments and village shopping precincts," she said.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
