Only 25% of people feel safe walking or cycling to Laxey or Dhoon School, a road safety consultation has found.

The Garff Road Safety Working Group, made up of Garff Commissioners, MHKs, Legislative Council, Laxey and Dhoon Schools, residents, the police and the Department of Infrastructure, have released the responses to its consultation asking for views on travel experiences in the area.

These included how people make their journeys, perceptions of road safety, and challenges encountered.

There were a total of 322 responses to the consultation, which found that a proportion of respondents supported the introduction or improvements to pedestrian crossings on the way to both schools.

A total of 24.9% of respondents felt ‘mostly safe’ or ‘very safe’ when travelling actively to Laxey or Dhoon School, with the safety routes and road crossings identified as the main barriers.

Just under 50% submitted details of challenges or incidents they had encountered when travelling within the area.

The locations that received the most comments included a portion of the main coast road (with junctions to Ard Reayrt, Minorca Hill and Ballaragh Road), the section of New Road passing through Laxey village centre, and Minorca Hill.

Responses to the consultation will be considered by the Garff Road Safety Working Group and will be used to ‘guide and inform future highways and road safety interventions’ with the intention of addressing issues raised where feasible.

Garff MHK Daphne Caine said: ‘The findings are not a surprise but give a clear steer that road safety improvements are urgently needed for both Dhoon and Laxey schools.

‘It is simply unacceptable that three quarters of people don’t feel safe travelling to school.

‘Sadly, I doubt we will be able to achieve quick fixes but I look forward to the next meeting of the road safety group to digest all the feedback and prioritise actions that are required to improve road safety – and reduce traffic speed – for the benefit of all.

‘As we encourage more pupils to walk or cycle to school, the potential consequences of not taking action are terrifying.’