We have reached almost 700 signatures.  Thank you for your support.

There has also been newspaper coverage about this issue:  www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/25185488.parents-object-dorset-councils-removal

As a reminder, the decision, which will affect almost 40 children, poses significant safety, environmental, financial and educational concerns that cannot be ignored.

The key safety concern for families is that children would be required to walk the hazardous and very busy A350, which is part of the Dorset HGV/Freight Route Network.

In fact, during the morning commute vehicle volume equates to a vehicle approaching a school child from behind every 6 seconds on average, of which 1 in 3 is a commercial van, LGV, HGV or bus.  This is along a 40mph stretch of road that is only 6m wide, far below accepted standards for a road with HGVs, and the pavement only 1m wide.

The risk is highlighted by multiple recent collisions, with three significant multi-vehicle accidents in less than 3 months, including a car being crushed on the pavement between a lorry and a building, and this week a severe three car accident between Charlton Marshall and Blandford which resulted in two of them mounting the pavement.

Forcing children to walk to school along such a hazardous stretch of road is incredibly dangerous, and we fear the council will only recognise this when it is too late for a family.

Thank you to everyone who has left their comments on the petition, or on local social media pages.  People have made comments such as:

“Massive risk to the safety of the children.  Do the new administration want to be accountable for the death of a child?!  I drive that route every day and it’s a major incident waiting to happen.”
 
“It’s utterly nuts!  I wouldn’t walk along that stretch as an adults it’s far too dangerous with the speed of the hgvs etc!”

“This is a terrible decision to take DCC. Walking along that pavement twice a day is so so dangerous. How long before a terrible accident happens? The trailway is not a choice it's dark in the winter months as there is no lighting and also after rain muddy. Also this leads straight back onto the dangerous road and again the path through Blandford St Mary is also narrow. Please reverse your decision before there is a fatality.”

“I have driven this road every day for 10 years for work and there is no way I would ever let my children walk this route. This is a short sighted and clearly ill considered decision, from someone who obviously doesn’t know the road. Dorset council get a grip, you should be adding free bus routes not taking them away!! All you are doing is adding to traffic volumes, pollution and putting children’s lives at risk.”
 
“By taking away school transportation to be able to get children safely to school is outrageous. Putting children’s lives at risk to save a bit of money is ridiculous and careless. By stopping one bus that can take many children to making parents drive individually putting more cars on the road and more congestion, specially drop offs at the secondary school”

We have also heard scary stories of people being hit on the head by wing mirrors of lorries, or near misses. 

The council still won't acknowledge that this is dangerous, so we mustn't stop highlighting it to them.

Please comment on the petition with your views if you have personal knowledge of the road or village, and please share.

Thank you