I WONDER how many parent drivers who try to deliver their child as close as possible to Bexton Primary every morning, have yet realised the effect that a puffin crossing will have on them?

The seven-page government specification for puffin crossings states: after the green walking man symbol is extinguished, the pedestrian precedence period continues and is extended by the on-crossing detectors until the crossing is clear. During this time a red signal continues to be shown to drivers.

What this means, and all drivers including parents need to clearly understand the implications, is that a near-continuous straggle of children, and/or parents, walking across the crossing will be detected by the puffin's on crossing detectors, so will keep the lights on red for as long as there is anyone on, or near the crossing.

This is a separate and extra delay to drivers being required to wait while the green walking man symbol is shown.

I predict that if a puffin crossing was to be installed, the lights will be mostly at red for the 15 to 25 minutes that children are being delivered to school meaning that many parents will not even get near to school because queuing cars will be stationary over the railway bridge on Blackhill Lane and a long way down Beggarmans Lane and Bexton Lane.

It is bad enough now but if parents insist on or continue to support a puffin being installed, they will wait forever and will be unable to escape the vicinity of the school, because the lights will be on red.

Name and address withheld